Mislabeling of seafood is a widespread issue, not just locally but worldwide. Researchers at the University of New England have developed a molecular method for identifying six species of hake and an additional five groundfish species common to the Gulf of Maine

Bass, A. L.

Whitefleet-Smith, Laura

English

University of Maine

The University of MaineDigitalCommons@UMaineMaine Sea Grant Publications Maine Sea Grant3-2014What the Hake?! Fish Forensics in Maine MarketsLaura Whitefleet-SmithUniversity of MaineA. L. BassFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/seagrant_pubPart of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, and the Food Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine Sea GrantPublications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contactum.library.technical.services@maine.edu.Repository CitationWhitefleet-Smith, Laura and Bass, A. L., "What the Hake?! Fish Forensics in Maine Markets" (2014). Maine Sea Grant Publications. 63.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/seagrant_pub/633/11/2017 March 2014 ESIP Journal | Ecosystem Indicator Partnership | Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environmenthttp://www.gulfofmaine.org/2/esip­monthly­journals/march­2014­esip­journal/ 1/3Overview Vision Statement Fact Sheets Events & Documents ICUC FeedbackIndicator Reporting Tool Monitoring Map Data Monthly Journals Latest NewsMarch 2014 ESIP JournalTitle: What the Hake?! Fish Forensics in Maine MarketsA collaborative effort to use fish forensics for quality assurance testing of fish fillets in Mainemarkets. Mislabeling of seafood is a widespread issue, not just locally but worldwide. Mislabeling is amultifaceted issue encompassing human health and consumer rights concerns—not to mention it isan illegal practice in the US. The most severe health concerns associated with mislabeling includeexposure to allergens and toxins (e.g. tetrodotoxin in pufferfish and gempylotoxin in escolar) as wellas high levels of mercury present in certain species of fish. The fraudulent substitution of lower-quality fish in place of higher quality (read: expensive) fish is also a frequent problem. While theextent of fish mislabeling varies substantially based on the product and location of sale, numerousstudies, surveying both restaurants and retail markets, have reported over 30% mislabeling acrosssamples tested. DNA testing for identifying mislabeling of seafood products has been used by a widerange of individuals from high school students1 to high-profile ocean activist groups2 andindependent research labs.Fish filets on display in a Maine supermarket. Photo:  Laura Whitefleet-Smith (2/2014)Researchers at the University of New England are particularly interested in commercially sold hakeand have developed a molecular method for identifying six species of hake and an additional fivegroundfish species common to the Gulf of Maine. Hakes are intriguing as the name “hake” describesa number of different species belonging to multiple families of fish. According to the 2013 FDASeafood List, there are nine species of fish that may acceptably be labeled under the name “hake.”The use of this ambiguous label invokes a number of questions. Why are all of these species groupedtogether under one label? What are you getting when you purchase hake in the Gulf of Maine?University of New England graduate student Laura Whitefleet-Smith and Assistant Research ProfessorAnna Bass have embarked on a project to address these questions by working collaboratively withlocal markets to achieve two main goals: 1) quality assurance testing of fish fillets and 2) determiningthe species composition of hake sold in Maine markets.3/11/2017 March 2014 ESIP Journal | Ecosystem Indicator Partnership | Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environmenthttp://www.gulfofmaine.org/2/esip­monthly­journals/march­2014­esip­journal/ 2/3Graduate student and co-investigator Laura Whitefleet-Smith isolating DNA from fillet samplesdonated by a local supermarket. Photo: Christopher Goodchild (3/2014)The technique used by UNE researchers is a lower-cost alternative to popular DNA barcoding whichrelies on expensive sequencing. In the future, this technique could be used as a means of monitoringthe species composition of hake in our markets over time. Interestingly, several hake species haveshown distributional changes over the past 45 years that may be related to increasing watertemperatures3. This could result in an alteration of the hake species composition in the Gulf ofMaine. Detecting changes in the species composition of hake in our markets could represent avaluable indicator of possible distributional changes in wild hake stocks. The ability to detect spatialchanges in mobile species’ ranges is crucial to our understanding of the ecological impacts of thewarming waters in both the Gulf of Maine and our oceans as a whole.Looking for more? Contact us at: http://www.une.edu/faculty/profiles/abass.cfm1.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/science/22fish.html?_r=1&2.) http://oceana.org/en/our-work/promote-responsible-fishing/seafood-fraud/overview3.) Nye, J.A., Link, J.S., Hare, J.A., et al. 2009. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 393:111-129      Other News in the Gulf of Maine & Bay of Fundy12/1/2015 - Nova Scotia approves oil exploration lease next to Georges Bank, entrance to Gulf of Maine (Portland Press-Herald>11/29/2015 - Sea Change: Rising sea levels should be a wake-up call (Portland Press-Herald)11/29/2015 - Maine Voices: Effect of freshwater flows on Gulf need to be studied (Portland Press-Herald)11/23/2015 - University of Maine debuts ocean simulator to test sea-bound products (Portland Press-Herald)10/25/2015 - 10/30/2015 - Mayday: Gulf of Maine in Distress - Read the 6-part series on climate change from Staff Writer Colin Woodard(Portland Press Herald)10/30/2015 - Maine isn’t doing enough to protect Gulf from effects of climate change (Portland Press Herald)10/29/2015 - Shellfish can't keep up with shifting ocean chemistry (Portland Press Herald)10/28/2015 - Invasive species exploit a warming Gulf, sometimes with destructive results (Portland Press Herald)10/27/2015 - Gulf of Maine’s cold-craving marine species retreat to deeper waters (Portland Press Herald)10/26/2015 - As Gulf of Maine warms, puffins recast as canaries in a coal mine (Portland Press Herald)10/25/2015 - Canadian government hinders scientists from talking about climate change (Portland Press Herald)10/25/2015 - Big changes are occurring in one of the fastest-warming spots on Earth (Portland Press Herald)9/24/2015 - Why some scientists are worried about a surprisingly cold 'blob' in the North Atlantic Ocean (Washington Post)9/23/2015 - Marine mammal rescuers hope to fill void with new Harpswell facility (The Forecaster)9/23/2015 - Dam removal in York County opens brook habitat to fish, wildlife (keepMEcurrent.com)9/8/2015 - Army Corps Withdraws Penobscot Bay Dredging Application (Portland Press Herald)9/7/2015 - Nova Scotia premier promoting province's seafood industry in China (Metro News Toronto)3/11/2017 March 2014 ESIP Journal | Ecosystem Indicator Partnership | Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environmenthttp://www.gulfofmaine.org/2/esip­monthly­journals/march­2014­esip­journal/ 3/39/3/2015 - Bay of Fundy surveyed for chemical runoff (CBC News)9/1/2015 - (Maine Public Broadcasting Network)August 30, 2015 Where have Maine’s mussels gone? (Portland Press Herald)August 27, 2015 New Sea-Level Rise Handbook Highlights Science and Models for Non-Scientists (USGS Newsroom)8/20/2015 - Weir fishermen struggling to catch herring in Bay of Fundy (CBCNews New Brunswick)August 15, 2015 - Hungry Alewives Help Clear Maine Lakes and Ponds (Portland Press Herald)August 15, 2015 - New Cutbacks for Recreational Fishing for Cod and Haddock in Maine (Portland Press Herald)August 7, 2015 - Jellyfish Jamboree on Maine's Coast (Bangor Daily News)July 9, 2015 - Summer storm leaves Biddeford beach lost in the weed (Portland Press Herald)June 3, 2015 - A Climate Calamity In The Gulf Of Maine: The Lobster Pot Heats Up (Maine Sea Grant Program at the University of Maine)May 31, 2015 - Bill stalls, but tribes still hope for deal on shared management of fisheries (Portland Press Herald)May 29, 2015 - Beluga whale sighting in Halifax Harbour sparks warning (CBC)May 21, 2015 - Portland suburbs show greatest population gain in recent Census report (Portland Press Herald)May 12, 2015 - EcoSystem Indicator Partnership App Development Request for Qualifications (GoMC/GoMC)May 11, 2015 - What really happens to the plastic you throw away (TEDEd)May 7, 2015 - "Ghost gear," abandoned fishing equipment, removed from Maine water (Kennebec Journal)May 4, 2015 - Large Population of Right Whales Spotted in Cape Cod Bay (Maine Public Broadcasting Network)April 28, 2015 - How to Combat Distrust of Science (Scientific American)April 27, 2015 - Land-based aquaculture startup prepares to scale up in Maine (Portland Press Herald)April 24, 2015 - Fundy Baykeeper worries whales will be impacted by potash ships (CBCNEWS)March 26, 2015 - A New Hike Explores the Bay of Fundy (NY Times)Past JournalsFebuary 2015 — ESIP releases new smartphone app connecting people in the Gulf of Maine and watershed to the science happening allaround them.November 2015 — The launch of a marine debris program in the Bay of Fundy.September 2015 — Climate Change Products for Atlantic Canada.July 2015 — An update from the April 2015 State of the Bays Symposium in Massachusetts.June 2015 — Learn about NH Department of Environmental Services' work with 65 volunteers to improve beach grass coverage at HamptonBeach State Park.May 2015 — Nova Scotia recently released risk ratings for storm serge and sea level rise for all portions of the Province - this journalsummarizes the findingsApril 2015 — Learn about an exciting project between ESIP and EPA that seeks to unravel upstream pressures on downstream estuariesFebruary 2015 — Meet the new Project Leader for the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program in Falmouth, Maine - Jed Wright.January 2015 — New Smart Tour of Great Marsh - largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann inMassachusetts to New HampshireDecember 2014 — The American Lobster Settlement Index is an important project that assesses current lobster fishery condition in bothCanada and the US. The dataset is current and available through the ESIP Indicator Reporting ToolClick here for all past ESIP journalsOverviewEutrophication Fact SheetAquatic Habitats Fact SheetClimate Change Fact SheetAquaculture Fact SheetAll Available Fact Sheets Indicator Reporting ToolMonitoring Map Monthly ESIP Journal & ArchivesESIP Steering CommitteeESIP Subcommittee Membership ListsESIP Program Manager Vision Statement & Core PrinciplesWhat are indicators?Fundamental approachVision statementCore principles Data

What the Hake?! Fish Forensics in Maine Markets

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What the Hake?! Fish Forensics in Maine Markets

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