Seattle federal court became the venue for a new consumer lawsuit against Amazon.com on Friday, as plaintiffs accused the online retailer of presenting seafood sold on its site in a way that overstates environmental benefits. The suit, filed as a proposed class action, centers on product labeling and promotional language that plaintiffs say misleads buyers about the sustainability of the seafood offered through Amazon's marketplace.
According to the complaint, shoppers were exposed to labels and claims containing phrases such as "dolphin safe," "responsibly sourced," "sustainable," "wild caught" and "MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood." Plaintiffs contend these portrayals led them to believe Amazon's seafood-sourcing practices have minimal negative impact on oceans and the broader environment.
The complaint argues that many of those representations are unsubstantiated or materially false. It notes that most fishing vessels are not publicly tracked and that some operators obscure their location by turning off electronic transponders. The plaintiffs also allege that at least one-fifth of imported wild-caught seafood is not responsibly or sustainably sourced.
"Amazon nevertheless markets the greenwashed seafood products using broad sustainability messaging without providing disclosures necessary to prevent consumer deception," the filing states.
The proposed class action names dozens of specific products across categories including tuna and salmon. Brands cited in the suit include Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, StarKist and Amazon's own 365 by Whole Foods Market. The complaint was brought by lead plaintiffs Madeleine Rogow of Los Angeles and Adam Sorkin of Chicago, who said they would not have purchased the products or would have paid less had Amazon disclosed what they describe as the products' true sustainability profile.
Legal relief sought in the case includes compensatory damages, punitive damages and restitution for U.S. consumers, alleging violations of Washington state consumer protection statutes. The parents of the named branded products - Taiwan's FCF, Thai Union Group and South Korea's Dongwon Industries - are noted in the complaint as the corporate parents of Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and StarKist, respectively, but they are not defendants in this lawsuit.
The filing also placed Amazon in the context of its grocery market scale, noting the company's position as the second-largest U.S. grocer with more than $150 billion of gross sales in 2025, as stated by Chief Executive Andy Jassy on an April 29 analyst call. The company frequently faces litigation related to products sold on its platform, including items offered by third-party sellers.
Amazon and the attorneys who represent it in other consumer class actions did not immediately provide comment in response to requests. The complaint and the brands named underscore tensions over labeling practices on large e-commerce platforms and the responsibilities retailers have to substantiate environmental claims made about products they sell.