--- title: "Better Seafood Board Cracks Down on Seafood Fraud" id: "14955" type: "post" slug: "better-seafood-board-cracks-down-on-seafood-fraud" published_at: "2012-12-13T16:50:57+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:20:07+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/12/13/better-seafood-board-cracks-down-on-seafood-fraud/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/12/13/better-seafood-board-cracks-down-on-seafood-fraud.md" excerpt: "A new report sheds light on the widespread incidence of mislabeled seafood—a problem the Better Seafood Board is trying to reel in." taxonomy_category: - "Ethics" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "consultants" - "industry partners" - "Regulations" - "Safety" - "seafood fraud" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Better Seafood Board Cracks Down on Seafood Fraud Nearly 40 percent of seafood sold in New York City restaurants, grocery stores, and sushi venues and examined in a recent investigation was mislabeled, according to a [report released this week (opens in a new tab)](http://oceana.org/en/news-media/publications/reports/widespread-seafood-fraud-found-in-new-york-city) by the conservation organization Oceana. > Traceability, tracking fish from boat to plate, will ensure that seafood is safe, legal, and honestly labeled while preventing consumers from getting ripped off. “Everywhere we look, we find seafood fraud, and New York City is no exception,” Beth Lowell, campaign director at Oceana, [said in a statement (opens in a new tab)](http://oceana.org/en/blog/2012/12/oceana-uncovers-widespread-seafood-fraud-in-nyc) . “Seafood fraud is a national problem that requires national attention. Traceability, tracking fish from boat to plate, will ensure that seafood is safe, legal, and honestly labeled while preventing consumers from getting ripped off. ” Oceana found similar levels of fraud in Los Angeles (55 percent), Boston (48 percent), and Miami (31 percent). The report was featured Tuesday on NBC’s *Today* show: Oceana found that cheaper fish was swapped for more expensive varieties. In some cases, the “imposter” fish was deemed unsafe: Tilefish, for example, substituted for red snapper, is on the Food and Drug Administration’s do-not-eat list because of its high mercury content. “When we’re talking about something like seafood fraud, it’s something that really has the potential to touch all aspects of the value chain,” said Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute. NFI created the Better Seafood Board in 2007 to crack down on fraud in the industry. The BSB brings together the entire seafood industry and provides an avenue to both members and nonmembers to report fraud. The BSB will blow the whistle to regulators when it receives evidence of seafood fraud. “And then there are checks and balances internally,” said Gibbons. “If allegations are made against members of the BSB, we will work to investigate those allegations and resolve them.” How has your association helped regulate within your industry? Let us know in the comments. [Rob Stott](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Rob Stott is a contributing editor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#consultants](https://associationsnow.com/tag/consultants/) [#industry partners](https://associationsnow.com/tag/industry-partners/) [#Regulations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/regulations/) [#Safety](https://associationsnow.com/tag/safety/) [#seafood fraud](https://associationsnow.com/tag/seafood-fraud/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoMessage from Gordon Taylor III, Chief Sales Officer for Destination ClevelandMay 17, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/05/17/message-from-gordon-taylor-iii-chief-sales-officer-for-destination-cleveland/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition-Sponsorships That Deliver Real ValueJuly 9, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/09/associations-now-presents-industry-partner-edition-sponsorships-that-deliver-real-value/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F12%2F13%2Fbetter-seafood-board-cracks-down-on-seafood-fraud%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !