Amazon has been sued in a proposed class action in a Seattle federal court, with consumers accusing the online retail giant of greenwashing by misrepresenting the environmental and sustainability credentials of seafood sold across its platform.
The lawsuit alleges that labels featuring terms such as “dolphin safe”, “responsibly sourced”, “sustainable”, “wild caught”, and “MSC Certified Sustainable Seafood” mislead buyers into believing that the products cause minimal ecological harm. The plaintiffs contend that these claims are unsubstantiated or materially false, asserting that many commercial fishing vessels lack public tracking or actively conceal their positions by disabling electronic transponders. The complaint further notes that at least a fifth of imported wild-caught seafood is neither responsibly nor sustainably sourced.
The action targets dozens of tuna, salmon, and other fish products from major brands including Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, and StarKist, alongside Amazon’s proprietary line, 365 by Whole Foods Market. The parent organisations of the third-party brands are not named as defendants in the filing.
Lead plaintiffs Madeleine Rogow and Adam Sorkin argue that consumers would not have purchased the items, or would have paid lower prices, had Amazon disclosed the true environmental impact of its seafood sourcing. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, and restitution under Washington state consumer protection legislation.
Amazon, which recorded over $150 billion in gross grocery sales in 2025 to position itself as the second-largest grocer in the United States, has not publicly commented on the litigation.
