- Instead of Vietnamese farmed prawns, look for Australian farmed prawns.
- Instead of wild-caught barramundi, or Vietnamese farmed barramundi, look for Australian farmed barramundi.
- Instead of Tasmanian farmed Atlantic salmon, choose King salmon farmed in New Zealand.
The team at GoodFish: Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide have cut through the greenwashing and made it easy for Australians to purchase genuinely sustainable seafood. Christmas is Australia's biggest seafood season and with demand at its peak, now is the time to choose seafood that helps ensure healthy oceans – now and for future celebrations to come.
Sustainable Seafood Guide Program Manager Adrian Meder said:
"Species like prawns, barramundi and salmon remain a festive favourite for many Australians, but not all are without significant environmental impact. Nearly two thirds of prawns eaten in Australia are imported from overseas, particularly from Vietnam where they cause environmental damage. Wild caught barramundi from Queensland and the Northern Territory poses an unacceptable risk to threatened species like dugongs, turtles and sawfish, while the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon industry has contributed to serious environmental decline and is a key threat to the endangered Maugean skate.
"Fortunately delicious and sustainable alternatives exist, and they can be easily found on the GoodFish Sustainable Seafood Guide, which uses a simple traffic light system to highlight Green-Listed seafood as a better choice.
"Christmas may be a time for the classics, but we always recommend trying something new as a great way to spread the load on our fish stocks and find a fresh favourite. This year, try bluethroat wrasse from Tasmania, or dusky flathead from New South Wales. Both have moved onto our GoodFish green list, thanks to responsible management.
"Australia's oceans have faced real pressure in 2025. South Australia has been grappling with a harmful algal bloom that has decimated inshore ecosystems. Whilst the ecological impact of the algal bloom on commercially harvested species is yet to be determined, you can be confident that any South Australian seafood for sale is safe to eat. Our support remains with the South Australian fishing community catching and farming Green-Listed seafood. We need these stewards as the impacts of the harmful algal bloom are revealed and recovered from, to ensure sustainable seafood production in years to come.
"Recent information has brought to light serious concerns for demersal reef fish populations throughout much of Western Australia due to serious overfishing and fisheries management failures. Iconic fish species like dhufish, snapper and red emperor are being pushed to the point of collapse. The Western Australian government is currently reviewing its options for the management of many of its reef fish fisheries, but this provides a critical reminder of why it is so important to choose sustainable seafood for your Christmas feast."
Australians can check the sustainability of their favourite seafood in our sustainable seafood guide by visiting goodfish.org.au or downloading the GoodFish Australia app available for Apple and Android devices.
GoodFish's 2025 Christmas Guide:
Prawns
Prawns are a festive favourite, but not all prawns on the market are without significant environmental impact. This year, avoid imported vannamei prawns. Imported vannamei prawns make up nearly two-thirds of the prawns eaten in Australia, most of which come from Vietnam, where prawn farming has caused serious environmental damage.
Instead, choose Australian-farmed prawns. Australian farms produce far lower levels of nutrient and chemical pollution and are a sustainable option. Wild-caught King Prawns from South Australia's Spencer Gulf are also a great option from Australia's only Green-Listed wild prawn fishery!
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Instead of imported vannamei prawns -
Choose Australian-farmed prawns -
Or choose wild SA Spencer Gulf King Prawns
Barramundi
Barramundi is a Christmas classic, but wild-caught barra from Queensland and the Northern Territory are caught in gillnet fisheries that have an unacceptable risk of killing threatened species like dugongs and sea turtles. This festive season, look for Australian-farmed barramundi. Most barramundi is grown on land in tanks or ponds in a manner which produces low impacts on the natural environment, providing a sustainable alternative that's versatile and easy to cook.
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Instead of wild-caught barra
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Choose Australian-farmed barramundi
Salmon
Salmon remains a popular choice, but avoid Tasmanian farmed Atlantic salmon. Intensive farming in Tasmania, particularly in Macquarie Harbour, has contributed to serious environmental decline and the key threat to the endangered Maugean skate. Pollution, massive fish kills involving heavy antibiotic use, and harmful seal-deterrent practices are systemic in the Tasmanian salmon farming industry.
Better options include New Zealand-farmed King salmon or our own native Australian salmon. Caught using low-impact net methods, Australian salmon is a low-impact and affordable choice, especially from Western Australia and South Australia where stocks appear healthiest.
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Instead of Tasmanian-farmed Atlantic salmon
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Choose NZ-farmed King salmon, or
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Choose Australian salmon
Other great sustainable options
- Oysters & mussels
Oysters are a clear choice for any celebration and, along with mussels, are fantastically sustainable. As filter feeders, they require no feed, clean the water, and have among the lowest environmental footprints of any seafood. Pick some up from your local supplier, or visit a regional grower for the freshest holiday celebration.
- Bluethroat wrasse (TAS, VIC, SA)
- Tasmanian bluethroat wrasse is new to our Green List!
- VIC and SA are Amber-Listed due to some concerns for populations
- Dusky flathead (NSW, QLD)
- NSW dusky flathead is new to our Green List!
- Mostly caught in estuaries throughout NSW
- Coral Trout (QLD)
- The name 'coral trout' refers to a number of species that are managed together as a single entity.
- Line caught on the Great Barrier Reef
