Mislabelling in megrims: implications for conservation

Abstract

Mislabelling of fish catch and commercial seafood products is relatively frequent worldwide and can affect fisheries management exploitation when stock estimates are based on landings. In this study we have analyzed genetically 239 commercial lots of two morphologically similar species of megrims (genus Lepidorhombus) that are caught together in mixed fisheries. A high proportion of mislabelling was detected, suggesting enormous underreported exploitation of one of the species, which can be endangered if the problem persists. These results highlight the urgency of applying currently available species-specific molecular tools in fisheries sciences for preventing biodiversity losses in exploited species.