The dwindling fish and chippers still serving local catches, and how you’ll soon be able to tell

The chalkboard of your average fish and chip shop lists a range of fish, from flake to snapper to barramundi, but next year, a new and crucial piece of information will be on there: where the fish was caught.

By adding a single letter next to each fish – ‘A’ for Australian or ‘I’ for international – consumers will for the first time be able to decide if they want Australian or imported fish in their paper-wrapped parcel.

Artemis Anasta of Argo Fishop, a business that supports new labelling laws.

Right now, it’s not a legal requirement for restaurants, fish and chip shops and other food service businesses to list where their fish comes from.

In November, though, state and territory governments voted unanimously to implement country-of-origin labelling in hospitality, bringing it into line with retail standards and the Northern Territory’s laws. The federal government says the laws will come into effect next year.

“Country-of-origin labelling is about transparency,” says Veronica Papacosta, chief executive of Seafood Industry Australia. “It’s about consumers understanding what they’re buying so that they can make their own informed choice.”

Fish and chips in restaurants, pubs and takeaway shops will soon be labelled imported or Australian.

Most fish and chip shops today serve a mix of Australian and imported catch, although once upon a time it was mainly locally caught. One reason for the change, Papacosta says, is that most seafood now goes through major cities, where most of the consumption happens.

“The prices that we’re paying since we opened [in late 2021] have doubled or sometimes tripled.”

Joe Farah, Scalable fish and chip shop

Another reason is that prices for Aussie fish have gone up due to “regulatory burden” and increasing business costs, such as labour, transport and energy.

“The prices that we’re paying since we opened [in late 2021] have doubled or sometimes tripled,” says Joe Farah of Scalable fish and chip shop in Essendon.

The price difference means fish and chip shops have had to choose between being a cheap takeaway option or a place people seek out for serving local product.

“If consumers are choosing Australian seafood, they should understand that it is more expensive,” says Papacosta, who adds that Australian catch is usually associated with higher quality.

While many Australians like to buy local, the realities of what they can afford, especially for a perceived cheap meal such as fish and chips, often dictate their choice at the counter.

Fish from the boats at your fishermen’s co-op might cost $30 with salad and chips, versus $13 for the cheapest option at a neighbourhood fish and chipper.

“I guess fish and chips, if you’re having local stuff, isn’t cheap any more,” Farah says.

Currently, about 65 per cent of the seafood we eat is imported. But country-of-origin labelling laws will not be a silver bullet that gets more Australians eating local battered blue grenadier.

“We will always need some level of imports to meet local consumption demand,” Papacosta says.

Local catch is always more expensive due to Australia’s higher costs of doing business.

In Victoria, the most common fish used for fish and chips is flake, a misused catch-all name for shark, but the term should only be applied to gummy shark (the Australian species) or rig shark from New Zealand.

Other fish typically consumed in Victoria include snapper, blue grenadier (known in New Zealand as hoki), and barramundi. But, unless you ask, you’re unlikely to know whether the fish was caught in Australian waters – or whether you’re paying more for a good reason.

Melina Panagos of Argo Fishop in Clifton Hill welcomes the new labelling laws.

“We’ve been in existence for 10 years, and we’ve always said where our fish is from. For us, it doesn’t change anything. Hopefully, it means other people won’t be able to sell overseas fish as Australian,” she says.

Argo Fishop’s display cabinet includes a range of Australian and New Zealand fish.

Eating imported fish, which is commonly frozen, is a different experience to fresh fish, according to most industry insiders.

“Especially gummy, it’s a pretty lean fish,” Farah says. “Once you freeze it, it loses all its moisture once you thaw it back out. It’s very dry.”

Even without the legislation, Argo and other fish and chippers are free to display where their fish is caught. But the change will even the playing field among businesses.

Farah says the new labels will raise the bar for fish and chip shops to “take pride in what they’re selling”.

“If a consumer is happy to eat something from overseas because it’s $4 or $5 cheaper a fillet, it’s their choice. At least they’ll know now why something is more expensive. It clarifies everything,” he says.

Where to find Australian fish and chips

Scalable, Essendon

You could go with Victorian or South Australian gummy in the fryer, or give Humpty Doo barramundi from the Northern Territory a go. Apparently, it’s growing in popularity among those who know its skin adds extra flavour to the batter when fried. Fish burgers and wraps are also a hot item here: the owner is also involved in burger shop 300 Grams.

1041 Mount Alexander Road, Essendon, scalable.fish. Note: closed until January 31

Captain Gummys, Frankston

The board at this bright-blue suburban shop could list rockling, barramundi, snapper and King George whiting, depending on the day. The namesake fish is nearly guaranteed to be there. Owner Arthur Ntontis says he buys “90 per cent Australian-caught” fish.

145 Beach Street, Frankston, 03 9770 1414

Flake with chips and salad at Argo Fishop.

Argo, Fitzroy North

A cut above your average chipper, you can dine in here and order garlic prawns, spaghetti marinara or fish tacos. But for fish and chips, take your pick of Victorian blue grenadier, Gippsland flathead, South Australian shark and more. You can also buy fresh fish to take home.

318-320 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, 03 9489 8714, argofishop.net

Fish by Moonlite, Anglesea

While the original owners have moved on, you can still get some of the freshest fish in the fluffiest batter here. Find rockling, flake and blue grenadier, plus one of the state’s most popular potato cakes.

Shop 4, 87-89 Great Ocean Road, Anglesea, fishbymoonlite.com.au

Off the Wharf Seafood Cafe at Lakes Entrance Fishermen’s Co-op

You won’t find fish and chips more local than this new addition to Lakes Entrance. The kitchen cooks gummy shark, local calamari rings and occasionally ling and orange roughy caught by its fleet, with gluten-free batter used. There are also fish and chip cafes at the Apollo Bay and San Remo co-ops.

51 Bullock Island Rd, Lakes Entrance, leftrade.com.au