Oceana report reveals new seafood fraud rules aren't promising.

A new study from Oceana reveals you definitely don't want to order the "wild salmon" when dining at the White House with Barack and Michelle.

OK, it doesn't show exactly that. 

But it does reveal that the Obama Administration's plan to halt seafood fraud—the mislabeling of one type of fish as another to please unknowing eaters and charge more—doesn't look to accomplish its aims.

For more on seafood fraud and background on Oceana, the planet's biggest international ocean conservation advocacy outfit, check out our recent cover story, "Something Fishy: Seafood fraud disguises farmed salmon as wild, tilapia as snapper and sole as sand dabs. What’s on your plate – and how did it get there?"

The new report is based on scientific studies, government documents and news reports since 2001 that identify examples of seafood fraud—namely, species substitution and mislabeling—and looks at how the proposed rule doesn't stop the problem.

"Specifically, the proposed rule does not increase transparency for the majority of the seafood sold in the U.S.," it reads, "and Oceana believes it should be expanded to include all seafood and extended through the full supply chain."

More from the report:

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud, which was originally established in 2014, issued an action plan in 2015 that included recommendations to establish a seafood traceability program.

While the proposed rule, also known as the draft “Seafood Import Monitoring Program,” is a valuable first step, Oceana says that by only requiring traceability for 13 “at-risk” seafood types from the boat to the U.S. border, many opportunities for continued seafood fraud remain.

“The proposed rule presents a historic opportunity to begin the process of tracing seafood in the U.S., but only if there’s a clear plan toward expanding to all species and extending traceability throughout the entire supply chain, from boat to plate,” said Beth Lowell, senior campaign director at Oceana.

“Consumers have a right to basic information about their seafood, including the species name, and how and where it was caught or farmed. Without strengthening the rule, fraudsters will continue to cheat consumers, undermine responsible and hardworking U.S. fishermen and businesses, and damage efforts to ensure the long-term productivity of our oceans for future generations.”

Some of the more startling discoveries were highlighted as part of the announcement of the report's results:

• Seventy-four percent (37) of the 50 types of seafood identified as mislabeled in the U.S. will not be covered by the proposed rule (example: wild Alaska salmon)

• Of the 27 legal cases where seafood was found or suspected to be mislabeled since 2001, 77 percent (21) involved seafood fraud that occurred within the U.S. (beyond the reach of the proposed rule)

• The proposed rule does nothing to trace the fish that are substituted in mislabeling—the imposter fish that are called something else to fetch a higher price or hide their less-desirable origins (example: selling escolar as “white tuna” or Asian catfish as “grouper”)

• Sixty-two percent of the 180 seafood species identified as imposters in Oceana’s analysis carry health risks, and 21 percent face the threat of extinction, as determined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

There was more less-than-savory information where that came from:

• Wholesalers allegedly mislabeling imported swimming crab as if it were the more valuable, wild-caught U.S. blue crab

• A distributor found guilty of labeling Mexican-caught shrimp as if it were domestic U.S. shrimp

• A seafood company accused of flouting government quotas by allegedly labeling severely overfished cod as relatively abundant haddock to circumvent catch limits

• A California sushi restaurant pleads guilty to importing endangered sei whale by mislabeling it as “fatty tuna,” in order to be able to illegally serve customers whale sushi

• A seafood processor pleads guilty to selling lower-priced coho salmon as more expensive Chinook salmon

• A dozen businesses and individuals convicted for a conspiracy that led to mislabeling imported Asian catfish as more expensive domestic catches to defraud consumers and avoid tariffs

Oceana's plan for remedying the plan's shortcomings came next, from Dr. Kimberly Warner, the author of the report and senior scientist at Oceana:

“Committing to trace all seafood sold in the U.S. from boat—or farm—to plate will not only protect consumers from hidden health risks from mislabeled products, but will also help restore trust for all seafood buyers that what they are selling is safe, honestly labeled and from legal sources that protect human rights."