A close up of a plate of grilled fish, chips and salad being prepared.

What if my supplier doesn’t tell me where my seafood is from?

From 1 July 2026, hospitality businesses have a legal obligation to provide accurate country of origin information to consumers under the Australian Consumer Law. 

If your supplier doesn’t provide origin details, you should:

  • Request the country of origin information from the supplier. You should keep written confirmation (such as invoices or statements) that shows the origin of each seafood product. You must keep this proof for 3 months after you stop selling the product.
  • If a supplier refuses to provide origin information, you can report the issue to the consumer protection agency in your state or territory.

You should ensure you can confirm the country of origin of the seafood supplied to your hospitality business.  Mislabelling could be considered false, misleading or deceptive and could breach the Australian Consumer Law.

What if I can’t make changes to my website or food delivery/ordering apps?

You can take  steps to manage this:

  • Contact the platform and request updates to your menu or item descriptions. 
  • Use detailed AIM labels (for example, “Australian prawns” or “Imported squid”) in the dish name or description.

Does it only matter where the seafood is from, or does where it’s processed affect which letter I use?

Under the AIM seafood labelling rules, processing location does not determine the label. The label depends on where the seafood is from.

This means:

  • Seafood labelled Australian was harvested within Australia or from Australia’s territorial sea or exclusive economic zone.
  • Seafood labelled Imported was harvested outside of Australia.

What if my menu says I/Imported and then I’m supplied M (Mixed) or A (Australian) seafood by my supplier?

If your menu lists seafood as “I” (Imported) but your supplier delivers seafood that is actually “A” (Australian) or “M” (Mixed), you must update your menu or signage to reflect the correct origin. If you cannot update menus quickly, use temporary signage instead.

AIM labelling must remain accurate and truthful under the Australian Consumer Law. Mislabelling seafood origin – even unintentionally – can be considered false or misleading.

Can I just say M or Mixed at the top of my menu regardless, to cover all bases?

No, you cannot just say “M” or “Mixed” at the top of your menu to cover all bases.

You have three options for AIM labelling:

  • Use single letter labels (A, I, M) next to each dish, with a legend explaining the letters.
  • Use detailed text labels (for example, “Australian prawns”, “Imported squid”, “Mixed seafood paella”).
  • Use one statement for your whole business only if all your seafood comes from the same origin (for example, all Australian or all imported).

Avoid single statement labelling if your dishes contain seafood from mixed origins.

More information