Seafood Glossary — Country of Origin

44 terms across 5 categories. Cross-referenced to our citation library.

Regulators & laws

ACCCAustralian Consumer Law: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission — enforces the Australian Consumer Law including misleading conduct on origin claims.
AFMAAFMA Commonwealth harvest strategies: Australian Fisheries Management Authority — manages all Commonwealth (offshore) fisheries.
AMSAAMSA fishing vessel safety: Australian Maritime Safety Authority — regulates fishing-vessel safety, surveys and crew certification.
AQISDAFF seafood export controls: Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service — operates the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.
CCSBT: Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna — international body managing SBT quota and stock recovery.
DAFF: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry — federal department overseeing biosecurity, imported food and trade.
FSANZFSANZ mercury in fish guidance: Food Standards Australia New Zealand — sets the bi-national Food Standards Code, including seafood additives, mercury limits and labelling rules.
GBRMPAGBRMPA zoning plan: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority — administers the GBR Marine Park zoning plan.

Aquaculture: Farming of aquatic species in ponds, cages or shellfish leases — Tasmania, SA and NSW are key Australian centres.
BycatchAFMA bycatch policy: Non-target species caught alongside the targeted species; managed under bycatch reduction plans.
Demersal: Living near or on the sea bed — e.g. flathead, snapper, ling.
Hand-dive: Diver-based harvesting on hookah or scuba — used for abalone, sea urchin.
ITQ: Individual Transferable Quota — tradeable share of the TAC held by a licence-holder.
Long-line: A main line up to several kilometres long with thousands of baited hooks; used for tuna, swordfish and ling.
Pelagic: Living in open water away from the bottom — e.g. tuna, mackerel, sardines.
Pot / Trap: Baited cage left on the seafloor — the gear used for rock lobster, mud crab, spanner crab.
Ranching: Wild juveniles caught and grown out in feeding pens — used in Port Lincoln for Southern Bluefin Tuna.
SAFSSAFS 2024: Status of Australian Fish Stocks — biennial FRDC report on the health of 150+ stocks.
TAC: Total Allowable Catch — the catch ceiling set by managers each season for a fishery.
Trawl: Towed-net fishing method, demersal (bottom) or midwater (off the seafloor).
VMS: Vessel Monitoring System — satellite-based tracker mandatory on most Commonwealth-managed vessels.

AFNSAustralian Fish Names Standard: Australian Fish Names Standard — mandatory naming of seafood species in trade and at retail.
CoOLCountry-of-origin (seafood) Info Standard 2025: Country of Origin Labelling — the mandatory disclosure of where seafood was caught/farmed and where it was processed.
Cool-FiCountry-of-origin retail food labelling: From 1 July 2026 — extension of CoOL rules to cooked seafood (fishmonger fryers, foodservice menus).
Made in AustraliaDept Industry CoO labelling hub: Refers to where a food was substantially transformed — not where the seafood was caught. Read carefully.
MislabellingAMCS / Minderoo DNA fish-ID: Incorrect species, origin or processing labelling. DNA studies show 11–34% of seafood at retail/foodservice is mislabelled.
Product of Australia: All significant ingredients and processing took place in Australia — strongest origin claim.
STPPFSANZ chemical residues: Sodium Tripolyphosphate — water-binding agent used to add weight to prawns and scallops abroad; rare on Australian product.
SulphitesFSANZ chemical residues: Preservatives often used on imported prawns; must be declared on labels under FSANZ rules.

Bioaccumulation: Build-up of contaminants up the food chain — relevant to mercury, PCBs, microplastics.
FCR: Feed Conversion Ratio — kg of feed per kg of body weight gain; salmon ~1.2, beef ~6+.
MercuryFSANZ mercury in fish guidance: Naturally-occurring metal that bioaccumulates in long-lived predatory fish. FSANZ publishes maximum levels and dietary advice.
Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)Heart Foundation omega-3 guidance: Long-chain marine fatty acids associated with heart and brain health.
POMS: Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome — viral disease affecting Pacific oysters, devastating to NSW estuaries from 2015.

ASC: Aquaculture Stewardship Council — the equivalent farm-side certification; used by Tasmanian salmon farms.
BAP: Best Aquaculture Practices — global multi-species farm certification covering biosecurity, social and environmental standards.
Cold chain: The 0–4°C temperature window maintained from harvest to retail to keep seafood safe and fresh.
FRDCFRDC research portal: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation — co-funded by industry levies and government to fund fisheries R&D.
HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points — mandatory food-safety management system for processors.
MSCMSC certified fisheries registry: Marine Stewardship Council — global wild-fishery sustainability standard; used by WRL, NPF, spanner crab and others.
Native TitleNative Title Act 1993: Recognition under Australian common law of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to land and waters.
RSPCA Approved: RSPCA's farm-welfare scheme; some Tasmanian salmon farms are certified.
Sea Country: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander term for the marine areas held under custodial responsibility.
SIASeafood Industry Australia: Seafood Industry Australia — national peak body representing wild-catch, aquaculture and processors.