Answering your top 6 country of origin labelling for seafood questions

I do not sell whole seafood such as fish or prawns, but some of the dishes I sell contain seafood as an ingredient. Do I still need to use the AIM labelling for these dishes?

Yes, in addition to dishes that are seafood (such as fish or prawns), you must also label the country of origin of the seafood ingredients in any dish marketed as containing seafood.

If I sell mostly raw seafood but also sell cooked prawns and crab sticks for takeaway, do I need to use Australian, Imported, Mixed (AIM) labelling?

Yes. The AIM labelling rules apply to hospitality businesses selling ready to eat seafood for immediate consumption. This includes takeaway items like cooked prawns or crab sticks, even if customers eat them later at home or at a picnic.

Food trucks, fish and chip shops, fast-food venues and market stalls are included under these rules.

If we cook prawns on my fishing boat to sell when we return, do I need to use the AIM labelling?

Yes. The AIM rules apply to hospitality businesses selling ready-to-eat seafood for immediate consumption.

This includes food trucks, market stalls, and mobile seafood sellers. Even if the cooking happens on a boat and the sale happens on land. If the prawns are cooked and ready to eat, they fall under the AIM labelling needs.

If my restaurant already lists the seafood’s origin, like ‘Sydney rock lobster’ or ‘Maroochydore prawns’, do I still need to use the A label? Where should I put it – after the name or in the description?

Yes, if your menu already lists the seafood’s origin in a more detailed way you still need to use the AIM label. For the above examples, either the letter A for Australian or the word “Australian” can be used to comply with the new rules.

You have 2 options:

  1. Use the letter label:
    • for example: Sydney rock lobster (A)
    • you must include a legend somewhere on the menu explaining what A, I, and M mean.

  2. Use a detailed text label:
    • for example: Australian Sydney rock lobster or Sydney rock lobster – Australian origin.

You can put the label after the name, in the description, or as part of the dish title. As long as it’s clear and visible to your customers before ordering.

If my fish is from New Zealand, can I just say it’s NZ or do I also need the ‘I’ (or ‘Imported’)?

If your fish is from New Zealand, you must label it as “Imported”, “I” or another acronym which the legend denotes the acronym means imported under the AIM seafood labelling rules in Australia.

Can I use the word ‘international’ instead of ‘imported’?

No. The label “international” does not comply with the new labelling rules. If the seafood is not harvested in Australia, it must be labelled either with ‘imported’ or an acronym (for example ‘I’) that is explained by a legend.