Australia has the chance to design a "world-leading system" to track seafood imports, new study finds
There are no laws in Australia to prevent the importation of seafood from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
Australian Government is dragging its feet on a seafood imports framework
Australia's weak laws must be strengthened to avoid the importation of seafood produced by destructive fishing and worker exploitation, according to a new study from the University of Queensland.
About 65% of the seafood consumed in Australia is imported, yet currently there are no laws that prevent the import and sale of unethical, destructive or exploitative wild-caught or farmed seafood.
The new study led by Dr Leslie Roberson has highlighted Australia's opportunity to design a "world-leading system" to prevent dodgy seafood from entering Australia. Such a system needs to be fully electronic with shared, verifiable data to track seafood through the supply chain.
Australian Marine Conservation Society Seafood Imports Lead Dr Kimberly Riskas said: "Australia imports nearly two-thirds of the seafood we eat here to meet demand, but the problem is that those imports are allowed into the country and onto our plates without any rules or standards for traceability, sustainability or ethical production.
"The seafood we eat in Australia could be caught by illegal fishers that threatens fish populations and the viability of the fishery, as well as endangered species, or caught by enslaved crews working in inhumane conditions.
"The University of Queensland study shows Australia has an opportunity to design a 'world-leading system' to prevent dodgy seafood from entering Australia. Such a system must be fully electronic with shared, verifiable data to track seafood through the supply chain. It states that we need 17 pieces of information to fully trace our seafood back to the source, but under our current law we only collect two of these for most of our imported seafood: weight and state, whether fresh, frozen or preserved. Without better information, Australian consumers could be buying seafood produced using damaging and exploitative practices..
"As the UQ study points out, Australia currently relies on other countries to set their own standards for human rights and sustainability in the seafood we import. Recent investigations have found evidence of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and worker exploitation in fisheries targeting squid, sharks and tuna. Australians could unwittingly be spending their hard-earned money supporting destructive fisheries and worker exploitation overseas.
"Without an ambitious seafood imports framework, we're undercutting Aussie fishers and farmers doing the right thing."
Internationally, there is a growing movement to ensure that seafood imported into countries is subject to stronger rules to close markets to IUU seafood. The European Union implemented a seafood imports framework in 2010; the United States in 2018; Japan and Korea in 2020.
In April 2023, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry released its first discussion paper for stakeholder comment, with a draft framework released in February last year. A final framework was expected by mid-2024, but has not yet been released.
Dr Riskas said: "Australia has fallen behind other market states in taking action to close its borders to the products of IUU fishing. The government started the process to develop an imports framework, but has stopped just short of announcing its findings. We are calling on federal fisheries minister Julie Collins to ensure this election promise is urgently delivered and an ambitious seafood imports framework implemented.
"We need better scrutiny of our imported seafood to stop Australia from becoming a dumping ground for illegal and exploitative seafood."
