Television presenter and former chef and food critic Matthew Evans, delivered the petition to Senators Nick Xenophon and Peter Whish-Wilson this morning, calling for more information about what type of fish they are eating and where it was caught or farmed.
“There are many concerns associated with fish and seafood catch, including whether it was sustainably caught, or if it came from a country that has a record of labour abuses,” said Nathaniel Pelle, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
“Matthew Evans, a food industry veteran, knows exactly what consumers, restaurants and local fisheries want. His petition shows Australians don’t like being kept in the dark about what fish they’re eating and where it comes from.
“In August, the Coalition government voted down a bill by Senator Nick Xenophon on better seafood labelling that had cross-bench support, knowing that Australian consumers want more information about what they eat.
“The food industry lobby, led by the Restaurant and Caterer’s Association, has pressured the government against adopting a better labelling regime, and their efforts are holding Australia back from global best practice for seafood labelling,” said Mr. Pelle.
This petition follows a Label My Fish Alliance campaign demanding new Australian labelling laws like those in the EU, requiring labelling of what fish we're eating, its origin and how it was caught or farmed. Members back clearer labelling in fish shops, takeaways and restaurants to protect the environment, boost the Australian fishing industry and protect public health.
Earlier this a year a joint statement signed by 16 environment organisations and Australian seafood industry bodies called for use of the Australian Fish Names Standard to be mandated and country of origin labelling to be extended into food service.
Prominent individuals backing the campaign include actor Richard Roxburgh, Quay Chef Peter Gilmore, MoVida chef and owner Frank Camorra, the NY Times best-selling author of ‘I Quit Sugar’, Sarah Wilson, and numerous Australian fishing industry members.
ENDS
Sydney, 15 October 2015 - A petition to the Australian Senate with over 46,000 signatures calling for better seafood labelling shows consumers are increasingly worried they don’t have enough information about what they are eating, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said today.