From 1 July 2026, every business in Australia that serves seafood for immediate consumption — restaurants, cafés, fish & chip shops, pubs, food trucks, caterers, takeaway, delivery — must clearly tell customers whether the seafood is Australian (A), imported (I), or mixed origin (M).
The full name of the law is the Competition and Consumer (Australian Consumer Law — Country of Origin Information for Seafood for Immediate Consumption) Information Standard 2025. It sits under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), and the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources is responsible for country-of-origin labelling policy.
The standard comes into effect on 1 July 2026. Until then, voluntary labelling is encouraged but not enforced.
The seafood was grown, caught, or farmed in Australia. Both wild-caught and aquaculture product qualify, provided the fish itself originated in Australian waters or farms.
The seafood was caught or farmed overseas. Even if it was processed, packed, or cooked in Australia, the country of catch / production is what counts.
The dish contains seafood from more than one country — for example a seafood platter that combines Australian prawns with imported squid.
The labelling requirements apply if your business serves seafood for immediate consumptionin Australia. “Immediate consumption” means the food is ready to eat as soon as it's handed to the customer — it doesn't matter whether they eat it on-site, take it away, or have it delivered.
If you only sell raw, un-prepared seafood at retail, you should still check the existing supermarket-style country-of-origin rules — they apply separately.
You must clearly display the origin of every seafood item, using the letters A, I, or M. Where you put them is up to you, as long as the customer can see the information at the point they decide what to order.
Print the letter beside each seafood dish. Many cafés do this with a small key at the bottom of the menu, e.g. “Battered Flathead (A)”.
Online menus, QR-code menus, and third-party delivery listings (e.g. UberEats, Menulog) must show the same information.
Counter signage, chalkboards, and self-serve cabinets must include the origin code beside each seafood item.
Be ready to demonstrate to regulators where each seafood ingredient came from — invoices, certificates of origin, and supplier specs.
Front-of-house staff should know what each label means and how to answer customer questions about origin.
If you swap suppliers seasonally, your labelling must change too. M (mixed) is the safe label when ingredients come from multiple countries.
Most Australians say they want to know where their seafood comes from — and surveys consistently find a strong preference for Australian product when that information is available. The new standard removes the guesswork and lets diners reward businesses that source locally.
Beyond the legal obligation, displaying A/I/M is also a useful marketing signal: it's an easy way to differentiate your menu and promote local sourcing.
The standard is enforceable under the Australian Consumer Law. Failing to provide accurate origin information, or making misleading claims (e.g. labelling imported seafood as Australian), can attract significant penalties under the ACL. Make sure your supply records back up your labels.