Black market seafood a health risk

The Fisheries Department is warning West Australian restaurants that buying black market seafood carries potentially dangerous health risks.

A two-year operation has uncovered a lucrative market in WA, with dozens of people and businesses charged with either selling or buying illegal seafood.

Fisheries is warning buying seafood on the black market can lead to health risks.

The Department's Phil Shaw is urging people to request a fishing licence before purchasing any seafood.

He says people who buy illegal product are putting their customers at serious risk.

"People that have licenses and catch fish professionally obviously treat fish in the right way for health reasons," he said.

"There's no guarantee of that when people are operating without a license under no sort of scrutiny."

He says there are simple ways to check if seafood sellers are legitimate.

"Some people do it in a semi-professional way and are geared up to do it regularly, other people do it opportunistically. If they catch a whole heap of fish they think well I might try and make some quick money.

"So ask certain questions, ask people if they do have a licence to sell fish and ask where they got them and just see some identification."

Source: ABC News, 9 November 2012