Clearer seafood labelling requirements coming for hospitality venues

Hospitality businesses can start leading the way in clearly labelling the country of origin of seafood they sell, to meet new national labelling rules required by 1 July 2026.

Under the new standard, seafood must be labelled as:

• Australian (A)
• Imported (I)
• Mixed origin (M)

The requirement applies to dine-in and takeaway businesses including cafés, restaurants, pubs, clubs and fish and chip shops. Labels must appear on printed, digital or display menus that include seafood.

A 12-month transition period has started, giving businesses time to update their menus and prepare. While the rules won’t be enforced until July 2026, early adoption is recommended.

These changes are designed to give customers greater transparency about the seafood they’re buying and support informed decision-making. They follow extensive consultation with industry and consumer affairs ministers.

Businesses already providing seafood labelling may need to update their wording to meet the new standard.