Hospitality businesses across Australia will be required to display the country of origin for all seafood they serve from 1 July 2026.
Consumers will have clear, accurate information about whether the seafood is Australian, imported or a mix of both.
Laws start in 2026
Businesses should review their menus and ordering systems now to ensure compliance by 1 July 2026.
Labelling requirements - the AIM Model
Businesses must make it clear when seafood is not Australian. They are not required to specify the exact country for imported seafood.
Seafood dishes must be labelled with one of three indicators:
- A – Australian
- I – Imported
- M – Mixed (Australian and imported sources)
You can use a single letter (A, I, M) or more detailed text, such as:
- Australian seafood
- Imported seafood
- Contains seafood of mixed origin
You can show a single origin statement if your business uses only Australian seafood or only imported seafood. For example:
- We only serve Australian seafood
- All fish is imported
You can’t use a single statement if your business uses both Australian and imported seafood.
Food to be labelled
The rules cover seafood dishes prepared for immediate consumption, whether dine-in or takeaway.
Where to show the labelling
The labelling must be clearly visible at the point of sale anywhere consumers make their food choices. For example on menus, menu boards, websites or other online ordering platforms.
Hospitality venues
This new labelling requirement applies to most venues, including:
- restaurants
- cafés
- pubs
- clubs
- takeaways
- food trucks.
Proof of origin
Under Australian Consumer Law, businesses may be asked to provide proof to Consumer Protection the seafood served matches the country-of-origin labelling stated by the business. This could include:
- Invoices or receipts
- Written communication from suppliers, such as an email
- Photos of packaging showing the country of origin
These records must be kept for three months from the date businesses last offered the seafood item to customers.
More information
- To check if labelling applies to your business and how to follow with the law, please visit Labelling seafood in your hospitality business | business.gov.au
- Seafood country of origin labelling - AIM model and sample menu
Need help?
You can contact us on email seafoodcool@lgirs.wa.gov.au or contact 1300 30 40 54.