Turning the Tide Newsletter – Summer 2024
Stopping Unsustainable Imports
Australia’s seafood imports have a big problem, with no national system to identify and prevent illegal, unethical, or unsustainable seafood from entering our market.
We need imported seafood to meet Aussie demand. The trouble is we have little idea what we import or where it’s from.
We also have poor labelling laws, so it’s challenging to know what we are buying. Anything could be on our plates, from endangered species to seafood caught through modern slavery.
The EU, USA and Japan are already taking action to stop seafood imports from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With our current open border policy, Australia risks being a dumping ground for dodgy seafood.
Our government has heard our concerns and released its own plans for stopping IUU seafood. They’re a good start, but need to be more ambitious.
We want strong import rules and better traceability and labelling for all seafood sold in Australia.
Need A Bigger Bite?
With more than 65% of our seafood being imported, this is a large and complex issue, so head to our website for the full scoop.