Belzelbub
Contributor
I’ve got to think that it’s a lot harder to trick a consumer that’s familiar with the taste and texture of grouper. Tourists, on the other hand, aren’t quite as familiar. I know I’ve been served fake grouper before. Knew it as soon as I bit into it. That was a while ago, and before I started limiting where I eat seafood at restaurants.Basa, tilapia or swai.
Rarely regulated with any vigor. Very common, in fact more likely in many cases to get fake fish anywhere than the higher priced premium fish.
It’s not always the restaurant’s fault though. Often the fake fish is substituted up the chain, and the restaurant may think they are actually purchasing grouper from the distributor, but they got duped as well.
Yep. When I do buy fish, it’s at local fish markets. Whole fish on ice, with eyes uncovered. There is still the sustainability piece, though. As even locally caught fish can come from longline boats. I’d rather not support them, so always look for spearshaft holes.Real quandary exists in trying to purchase ethically harvested and sustainably fished grouper, snapper and hogfish unless you see the fish being unloaded.
Believing that 9.95 1/2 pound grouper sammich and sides is really grouper is foolish. Believing you are getting what you pay for without seeing the actual fish or readily identifiable packaging is sheer hopefulness.