Finally, the Truth is on the Menu: New Seafood Labelling Laws Are a Win for Every Australian Diner

For decades, Australians have been served a lie — not by chefs or waiters, but by silence, omission, and government policy. At long last, that ends.

Australia’s new seafood labelling laws for the food service industry mark a breakthrough in consumer rights. At pubs, clubs, cafes, and restaurants across the country, Australians will finally know: is this seafood local, or is it imported from an overseas fishery with questionable sustainability and labour standards?

This simple label pulls back the curtain on a reality most Australians never knew — and many will be shocked.

Over 70% of Our Seafood Is Imported — While Our Own Fishers Are Pushed Out

Australia is surrounded by rich, clean oceans. Yet today, more than 70% of the seafood we eat is imported. And most consumers never knew.

They didn’t know that Australian prawns had been replaced with cheaper foreign product.They didn’t know that the fish on their plate could come from waters where overfishing is rampant and slave labour is still a reality.They didn’t know because they were never told.

Meanwhile, our own commercial fishers — the people who follow some of the most stringent, science-based rules in the world — have been gradually shut out of their own waters.

Recreational-Only Zones, Buybacks, and Lockouts Have Hollowed Out the Industry

From Queensland to Victoria, more and more productive fishing grounds have been turned into recreational-only zones, effectively banning commercial harvest. Many of these decisions have no solid evidence to back them — just politics, lobbying, and ideology.

Add to that the explosion of marine parks and no-take zones, and it’s no wonder our local industry has shrunk. But here’s the kicker: there is no proven science that justifies these marine park policies in Australia — not in a system already defined by tight quotas, vessel monitoring, gear restrictions, and closed seasons.

If marine parks are meant to protect biodiversity from destructive or unregulated fishing, then put them where they’re needed — in regions where fisheries aren’t already stringently managed, like much of Southeast Asia. Don’t impose them on Australian waters where fishers are already doing everything right.

Labelling Is a Start — But What Will Happen to Local Seafood Supply Now?

As these labels roll out, demand for Australian seafood will surge. But with so few fishers left and so little access granted, what happens next?

• Will prices rise even higher because local supply can’t keep up?

• Will the public be forced to choose between paying a premium for local, or going back to unknowingly consuming imported seafood from questionable sources?

• Or will we finally admit the truth — that our fisheries are not suffering from overfishing, but from over-regulation?

It's Time to Restore Access and Rebuild Local Supply

If we truly want Australians to eat more local seafood, then we must give our fishers access to the water again. That means:

• Reopening all recreational-only fishing areas to responsible commercial fishing

• Reforming marine park policy to reflect real-world science, not ideology

• Reinvesting in a local seafood supply chain that puts Australians first

These new labels don’t just tell the truth — they demand action. They show us what we’ve lost, and what we stand to regain. Now that the curtain has been pulled back, Australians won’t accept being kept in the dark ever again.

We have the oceans. We have the fish. We have the fishers.

Let them work. Let the people eat.