'Chance to shine' for Australian seafood under new labelling laws

Diners in Australia will now know the exact origin of their seafood meals, whether at a casual fish and chip shop or a fine dining restaurant. New country-of-origin labelling laws, effective today, mandate that all food venues selling ready-to-eat seafood must clearly display the source on menus and boards.

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We have a major resource on our doorstep, the Coffs Marina, and we wanted to exploit that. I think it's Australian seafood's chance to shine now.

Under the updated regulations, each seafood item will be accompanied by a letter: 'A' for Australian, 'I' for imported, and 'M' for mixed. This transparency aims to combat instances where consumers order a specific fish, like snapper, only to receive an imported alternative such as farmed basa from Vietnam. Phil and Penny Dean, who run Sea Salt Fish and Chips in Coffs Harbour, have long championed Australian seafood and see the new laws as "Australian seafood's chance to shine."

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When you go to a pub or a club or a sushi restaurant …who knows what you're getting?

Industry figures welcome the move towards greater honesty. Simon Boag, a Victorian fisherman and executive officer of the SE Trawl Industry Fishing Association, noted that customers often don't get what they pay for. Joe De Belen, a seafood exporter, highlighted that up to 90% of barramundi served in restaurants is imported, despite Australian barramundi being superior in quality. The Australian Marine Conservation Society also pointed out that threatened shark species are sometimes mislabelled as "flake" in fish and chip shops, underscoring the need for clear origin information.

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I've been around seafood for 35 years, and when I order a piece of snapper, and I take the first bite … I realise it's a piece of farmed basa from Vietnam.