In the lead up to Good Friday and at the peak seafood season over Easter, the Australian Marine Conservation Society is warning consumers that the seafood they’re buying might not be what they anticipate. An estimated 65% of seafood consumed in Australia is imported.
Why are these sea food imports a danger to Aussies?
Without any enforceable rules or standards for imported fish within the country, consumers shopping for a seafood feast this Easter may be inadvertently buying seafood products that:
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are generally untraceable so consumers are unsure of exactly what they are eating, where it is from and how it was caught
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contribute to the global decline of fish stocks
- contribute to the death of threatened species of turtles, seabirds, dolphins and sharks; and/or
- have been obtained using modern slavery or terrible workplace conditions.
What are the AMCS remarks about the seafood imports?
When combined with our deficient seafood labelling laws, consumers are left completely in the dark as to what they’re eating. AMCS Fair Catch Campaign Manager Cat Dorey said, “While Australia has a lot of fantastic seafood options available, we rely on imports to meet appetites.”
“Seafood imports are allowed into Australia, onto our plates without rules or standards for traceability, sustainability or ethics. It creates confusion for consumers and places the local industry at risk of being undercut by cheap imported substitutes that don’t meet standards.”
“All this has got to change. We need enforceable and basic minimum standards for imported seafood, or we risk Australia becoming a dumping ground for seafood from illegal, destructive and exploitative fisheries and farms across the world. We need the Australian government to enforce stronger import rules and better labelling for all the seafood sold within Australia.”
“In the meantime, consumers should always check the label or ask before they buy seafood on the market. If you cannot find out what species it is, where it is from, who caught it and how, do not buy it. To help with this, consumers can use the GoodFish Sustainable seafood guide to provide independent information on the vast majority of seafood produced within Australia.”
“When eating out, you should look out for the GoodFish partner restaurants so that you can be confident that the seafood you are being served is sustainable,” Cat Dorey further added. The Australian Marine Conservation Society is part of the Fair Catch Alliance that is committed to changing all this, so we end up with the same rules for all seafood sold across the nation.
