Fish and Chip shop at Constitution Dock in Hobart Port, Tasmania, Australia
Photo: Jackie Davies / Adobe Stock.
Australia's Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, announced last week a change for seafood labelling in the country's food service from July 1, 2026. "Aussie seafood lovers will soon be able to select their preferred catch in restaurants and cafes, with Country-of-Origin Labelling (CoOL) to be added to menus," said the joint release with Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins.
With a final four-week consultation and including a 12-month transition period to help businesses adjust, according to Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) - which has welcomed the new rule - food service establishments will be able to begin implementation from July 1, 2025.
"This announcement marks a significant milestone in ensuring Australian consumers have the information they need to make informed choices when dining out," said SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta. "CoOL is a win for both consumers and industry, empowering people to choose Australian seafood when they want to."
Notwithstanding being home to what the Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, called "a world-class seafood industry," as both her colleague, the Minister for Industry and Science, and the Australian Seafood Industry body emphasized, most of the seafood Australians buy is imported.
"Australia's oceans are home to some of the best prawns, oysters and fish in the world, but more than 60% of seafood bought by Australians is imported," said Ed Husic, head of Industry and Science.
"Despite Australia having the world's third-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a staggering 64% of the seafood we consume is imported. This highlights the importance of clear labelling so consumers can make informed choices," noted SIA CEO Veronica Papacosta.
The national trade organization representing Australia's commercial seafood industry acknowledged the extensive consultation undertaken by both government and industry to develop a model that improves consumer transparency and minimizes trade impact.
"This has been a long time coming, and while today's announcement is a positive step forward, we know there is still work to do," Papacosta said. "Ensuring a smooth transition for food service businesses and driving consumer awareness will be critical to the success of this new legislation," she added.
Once this seafood labelling change in Australia's food service is implemented, under the new regulations, establishments such as restaurants, takeaways, pubs, and clubs will be required to indicate the origin of their seafood using the Australian-Imported-Mixed (AIM) model.
The AIM model offers three options:
A - for Australian seafood.
I - for imported seafood.
M - for mixed origin containing both Australian and imported seafood.
As mentioned, Commonwealth, state, and territory consumer affairs ministers agreed to the new CoOL approach following extensive consultation with the public and industry, which concluded that the proposed AIM labelling model was a practical, low-cost approach that strikes the right balance between improving consumer information and minimizing costs and commercial impacts.
"This is a simple and practical approach that strikes the right balance between informing consumers while minimising costs and red tape for businesses," Australia's Minister for Industry and Science said. "By giving Australians an informed choice about where their seafood comes from, we're supporting the Australian seafood industry, securing jobs and boosting our economy," he added.
According to the information provided by the Australian Government, the seafood industry directly employs more than 10,000 Australians and generates around AUD 3 billion in gross value for the country's economy.
Thus, commenting on this seafood labelling change in Australia's food service, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, said, with it, the Albanese Labor Government continues to back the local seafood industry, but also Australian consumers, "who deserve and want to know where their seafood is coming from."
"We're delivering on a key commitment, which I was pleased to make at the last election, and will continue to support the efforts our local seafood industry has made to identify their products," Minister Collins stated. "The fisheries industry provides significant value both as a job creator and economic driver in regional Australia and our Government is proud to back Australian seafood, which is some of the best in the world."
As mentioned above, Seafood Industry Australia has welcomed the Albanese Government's announcement although has also emphasized that a strong public awareness campaign will be essential, not only to support the hospitality sector but also to encourage Australians to ask for Australian seafood.
Earlier this month, the re-elected Australian Labor Government also launched a new national food security strategy - Feeding Australia, financed with AUD 3.5 million - to strengthen the security and resilience of the supply chain in Australia's agriculture and food production systems. SIA also welcomed it and hopes to contribute to Recommendation 5 implementation, which calls for a specific strategy to expand the seafood sector while meeting environmental and sustainability requirements.
