Protecting Australia from illegal fishing

The Albanese Labor Government is taking further action to keep illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) seafood out of Australia, supporting legitimate seafood suppliers here at home and abroad.

Across the globe, up to $23.5 billion dollars each year is lost to IUU fishing, representing approximately 20 per cent of all global fish catch.

While analysis of Australia’s seafood supply chains shows the bulk of Australia’s seafood imports were assessed as lower risk of containing product caught through IUU fishing practices, four higher risk commodity groups have been identified – sharks, squid, surimi and sardines.

The Government is committed to minimising the risk of IUU seafood being imported.

As part of this, the Government will review Australia’s import codes and related data reporting requirements to allow for a more comprehensive classification of Australia’s seafood imports.

The Government will also support the implementation of existing multilateral catch documentation schemes and cooperative international systems used to track seafood from catch to market.

These initiatives build on measures already in place to combat IUU fishing, including licensing and enforcement, monitoring control and surveillance, and regional and multilateral action.

They will help us to better understand the risks associated with seafood that is imported into Australia, and whether a seafood traceability program may be appropriate for Australia in the future.

This follows extensive consultation with domestic and international stakeholders from across the fishing supply chain, including consultation on the draft report considering measures to prevent IUU imports to Australia.

In 2023-24, Australia imported 215,000 tonnes of edible seafood, valued at $2.3 billion.

To read the final report on measures to prevent the importation of illegal, unreported and unregulated seafood, visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/fisheries/iuu/illegal-fishing.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:

“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices impact countries across the world, but they have no place in Australia.

“IUU fishing puts legitimate operators at a disadvantage and threatens marine ecosystems.

“That’s why the Albanese Labor Government is committed to minimising the risk of IUU seafood being imported to Australia.

“These new actions will strengthen measures already in place to combat IUU fishing – and send a strong signal to importers that IUU seafood is not welcome.

“We will continue working with stakeholders across the fishing supply chain to prevent the importation of illegal, unreported and unregulated seafood.”