The Chinese government has arbitrarily decided that rainbow trout can now be labelled and sold domestically as salmon.

The questionable move follows complaints earlier this year that rainbow trout was being mislabelled as salmon and that fish buyers were being deceived.

A media report earlier this year caused a stir by revealing that rainbow trout for years had been sold as the similar looking fish.

But instead of sanctioning vendors who sell trout while claiming it is salmon, the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA), which falls under the Chinese ministry of agriculture decided to legitimise the practice.

Rainbow trout and salmon look similar when filleted but trout live in fresh water and salmon are born in freshwater but then live in much of their lives in salt water.