Wild-caught seafood is often untraceable — and some industry players don’t want that to change

The wild-caught fish you buy was landed far away from cameras or scrutiny. And while technologies now exist to solve this problem and make opaque supply chains transparent, our new research suggests many players in the Australian industry are not interested in change — particularly large wholesalers, processors and fish markets. We interviewed people who work in seafood supply chains in Australia — from fishers and aquaculture companies to seafood traders and restaurants. Fishers and fish farmers explained that once their catch departs for the big seafood markets, they "lose control of the supply chain", have "no idea where they go" and that it's "impossible to keep track of any of it". If nothing is done, Australia's seafood industry could become less viable since illegal fishing practices would remain difficult to identify, putting strain on fish stocks.