SEATTLE -- On Amazon, some seafood products are labeled “wild caught” and “responsibly sourced,” but a lawsuit filed Friday suggests there’s something fishy going on.

In a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Seattle federal court, two consumers accused the e-commerce giant of “greenwashing,” or falsely marketing seafood products as sustainable. The lawsuit targets dozens of tuna, salmon and other seafood products sold by Amazon online and in stores under brands including Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee, StarKist and 365 by Whole Foods.

Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The evidence shows that Amazon’s marketing of its seafood products is consumer deception, hook, line and sinker, and preys upon the hopes of millions of consumers that their dollars support sustainability,” said Steve Berman, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the suit.

The lawsuit takes issue with the use of the Marine Stewardship Council seal, a blue label that reads “MSC Certified Sustainable.” Some products from Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee, StarKist and 365 by Whole Foods have the MSC label.

The complaint claims that MSC operates a “pay-for-play” certification model, in which fisheries can pay auditors for approval.

A spokesperson for MSC said that the council is “confident in the rigor, credibility and positive impact of the MSC’s global program,” and that they “support (their) valued partners.” The spokesperson declined to comment on specifics of the case “given that this is an ongoing legal matter.”

Bumble Bee and StarKist, both not parties in the lawsuit, did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Chicken of the Sea pointed to the brand’s sustainability initiatives, including its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The brand isn’t a party in the lawsuit.

“We stand by our globally recognized sustainability program that aims to protect oceans, support communities and preserve the bounty of the sea for generations to come,” the spokesperson said.

The lawsuit also alleges that Amazon obscured how little of the fishing industry is verifiable. The complaint cites research from a 2024 Nature study that argues transponders, or tracking systems, aboard fishing vessels are turned off to obscure the timing of fishing near illegal areas.

The two plaintiffs, California resident Madeleine Rogow and Illinois resident Adam Sorkin, said in the lawsuit they would not have bought the products, or would have paid less, had Amazon disclosed what the lawsuit calls their “true sustainable nature.”

Amazon product pages for the items that Sorkin purchased described Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna as “wild caught,” containing “clean ingredients,” according to the complaint. A Chicken of the Sea salmon listing on Amazon claimed the company is a “leader in sustainability efforts” as “responsible stewards of our seas now and for future generations.”

The complaint alleges Amazon violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act, which bars unfair or deceptive business practices, and also accuses the company of fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment under Washington law.

Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages, restitution and an order barring Amazon from continuing to market the products as sustainable without disclosing limitations.

None of the plaintiffs allege they suffered physical harm from the seafood, but they say they paid an economic premium for a sustainability promise that they allege Amazon failed to deliver.

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