Proudly local: Sea Salt on seafood labelling and transparency.

For over 13 years, Sea Salt Fish and Chips has operated as a ‘fine dining in a box’ staple across 3 locations in Toormina, Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga in northern New South Wales. Sourcing fish directly from local dayboats at the jetty, the business has built its entire reputation on a foundation of local quality and consumer trust.

‘Everyone likes to know where their fish is coming from,’ says Joshua Cook, head fishmonger at Sea Salt. ‘Country of origin seafood labelling laws have been coming for a long time. It really wasn’t a hard process for us to be compliant. We put a lot of time and effort into sourcing particular fish species at certain times of the year, and we do it because we are proud of what we do.’

From 1 July 2026, country of origin labelling laws are mandatory for all hospitality venues, from high-end restaurants to local fish and chip shops, to clearly state where their seafood comes from.

At the heart of these requirements is the AIM model, a straightforward labelling system designed to bring transparency to the seafood counter. While some operators may worry about the administrative burden of new compliance rules, early adopters like Sea Salt prove that embracing the AIM framework is not just simple – it is incredibly good for business.

The AIM model eliminates consumer guesswork by requiring a single letter label with a legend or clear text designation next to any seafood item on a menu or display board. It breaks down into 3 simple categories:

  • A – Australian
  • I – imported
  • M – mixed, meaning it contains both Australian and imported seafood.

‘It’s pretty straightforward, and customers love it,’ Joshua says. ‘They’re happy to have something that’s so plain and easy to understand. From supplier to purchaser, it streamlines the whole process.’

Compliance is really quite easy. We’re proud to be compliant with these rules. Transparency is what we’re about and championing local product.
— Joshua Cook

Demystifying the AIM model

‘Basically, everything’s still the same for us on the menus, except for the A, the I, the M. You change your menu seasonally anyway, and it’s easy to pop in a letter beside a seafood dish,’ Joshua explains.

‘Compliance is really quite easy. We’re proud to be compliant with these rules. Transparency is what we’re about and championing local product.’

Truth on the hook

The new laws put the power back into the hands of the customer by providing clarity around whether seafood is local or imported, or a mix of both.

‘There’s always certain products that you can’t get in Australia or at a certain price point,’ Joshua explains. ‘Going to a wharf to get whole fish won’t fit everyone’s business model, that’s completely understandable and it is okay to use imported if you need to.

‘We use New Zealand hoki as our standard in fish and chips, and we also get the Ōra King salmon from New Zealand. It’s one of the best salmons in the southern hemisphere so we get that shipped over.

‘It’s about transparency and letting people know where their product has come from.’

This has been coming for a long time. We put a lot of time and effort into sourcing particular fish species at certain times of the year, and we do it because we are proud of what we do.
— Joshua Cook

Taking away the guesswork

For business owners nervous about backend logistics, tracking origin information is manageable.

‘It’s basically as simple as keeping a record once a product comes in – simple as that,’ Joshua explains. ‘If a delivered box arrives without clear markings, make a quick phone call to your supplier’s sales representative to request written clarification. Keep those records on hand and it’s literally that easy.’

Joshua and the team at Sea Salt are enthusiastic about the positive impact country of origin seafood labelling has had on their business.

‘This law puts the decision back into the customer’s hands. It’s about time that customers got to understand where their product comes from, where their fish and chips come from,’ Joshua says.

‘We have so many good memories of eating fish and chips, and to know that fish is Australian or it is imported, just to have that concreted into our culture, it’s a great thing.’

Further information