Overview
From 1 July 2026, hospitality businesses that sell or serve seafood must comply with new country of origin labelling requirements under the Australian Consumer Law. These rules are designed to ensure consumers are clearly informed about whether seafood is Australian, imported, or of mixed origin before they place an order.
Who must comply
You must comply with the seafood country of origin labelling rules if your business:
- Sells seafood for immediate consumption (dine‑in, takeaway or delivery), and
- Operates as a hospitality venue such as a restaurant, café, pub, club, or takeaway food business.
These rules do not apply to:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Medical institutions
- Prisons
- Retail packaged seafood products (for example, seafood sold in supermarkets).
What you must tell customers
You must tell customers the country of origin of the seafood in each dish. The seafood must be labelled as:
- Australian (A) – harvested within Australia or its territorial sea
- Imported (I) – harvested outside Australia
- Mixed (M) – contains both Australian and imported seafood.
Where seafood is processed does not affect the label. The label is based only on where the seafood was harvested.
For more detailed information on how to label your dishes, including a table for specific ingredients, visit the business.gov.au page on Labelling seafood in your hospitality business.
Accuracy and records
All seafood origin claims must be true, accurate and not misleading. You must keep records proving the origin of your seafood for 3 months from the date you last offered it to customers. For example:
- invoices or receipts
- emails from suppliers
- photos of packaging that shows the country of origin.
If your seafood suppliers haven’t given you any country of origin information, ask them to provide it in writing. Suppliers have an obligation to provide you with this information, and in writing if you request it.
If your seafood supply changes, you must update your menus or signage to reflect the correct origin. Using incorrect labels may breach the Australian Consumer Law.
Video guidance
Business.gov.au has published a video on YouTube to help businesses understand their requirements: Country of origin labelling for seafood
Related information
This page has been produced and published by the Consumer Building and Occupational Services Division of the Department of Justice. Although every care has been taken in production, no responsibility is accepted for the accuracy, completeness, or relevance to the user's purpose of the information. Those using it for whatever purpose are advised to verify it with the relevant government department, local government body or other source and to obtain any appropriate professional advice. The Crown, its officers, employees and agents do not accept liability however arising, including liability for negligence, for any loss resulting from the use of or reliance upon the information and/or reliance on its availability at any time.