Is that halibut you just ate really local? Is that tuna in your sushi really tuna? This may sound a little like a certain Portlandia sketch, but inquiring consumers and a nonprofit group called Oceana are concerned that Bay Area restaurants aren’t necessarily serving the fish they say (or think) they’re serving. Now that DNA tests are available to identify species of fish, it’s possible to determine if fish purveyors or restaurants are lying about what they’re serving, and Oceana has just gone around to 30 local restaurants and taken samples, which are currently being tested. Oceana’s already found mislabeled fish appearing on plates in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Monterey, and they’re likely to find some culprits here too. Likely switcheroos: escolar (nicknamed Ex-Lax fish for reasons we shouldn’t need to explain) masquerading as tuna sashimi, and mercury-laden shark being served in fish tacos. [Chron]
