- Hospitality venues have 12 months to implement labelling of seafood as Australian, imported or mixed origin.
- Australia's seafood labelling laws are still in need of significant reform.
- Australians are still unable to tell what species they're eating, and where and how it was caught or farmed.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed the long-overdue introduction of Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) in hospitality venues, but says Australians are still a long way from knowing what seafood is really on their plates.
Restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and takeaways must display whether their seafood is Australian (A), Imported (I), or Mixed (M), under the new national AIM model that will be phased in during a 12-month adjustment period. The change follows years of sustained advocacy from conservationists, industry, and consumers, and brings hospitality closer in line with existing rules for packaged seafood.
But AMCS says Australians are still being left in the dark when it comes to knowing what species they're eating, and where and how it was caught or farmed. This makes it near-impossible for Australians to make informed choices, leaves the door open to seafood fraud, and disadvantages responsible fishers and farmers.
Dr Kimberly Riskas, AMCS Seafood Imports Lead said: "The long-awaited implementation of CoOL for seafood in hospitality is an important step forward, but it's just the beginning. Seafood is our last major wild food source, and people are still being kept in the dark about what they're buying, in both restaurants and retail."
"Australians deserve to be able to make informed choices when it comes to seafood, whether that's choosing local options, supporting sustainable practices, or avoiding threatened species. To do this, Australians need clear, consistent labels on all seafood, wherever it's sold."
"Independent studies show that one in ten seafood products in Australia are mislabelled, and even more are inaccurately described. Vague terms like 'flake' and 'white fish' are simply not good enough."
In hospitality venues, seafood labelling must go further than the basic AIM model. Menus should clearly show:
- The common name of the seafood (as per the Australian Fish Names Standard);
- For Australian seafood, the state or territory where it was harvested.
In retail settings, such as supermarkets, fishmongers and fish counters, AMCS is calling for all seafood products to be labelled with:
- A common name as per the Australian Fish Names Standard, ideally alongside the scientific name;
- Point of capture: including the Australian state or territory, or-for imports-the country of origin or FAO Major Fishing Area;
- Production method and gear type used (e.g. wild-caught with longlines, farmed);
The exporting country or country where the majority of processing occurred, if different.
