Australian Fish Names

 

Sydney Fish Market is a proud supporter of the Australian Fish Names Standard (AS 5300-2019).

Since June 2005, Sydney Fish Market has incorporated the Australian Fish Names Standard into its operations.

In March 2007, the Australian Fish Names List became an Australian Standard. The standard:

  • Prescribes one standard fish name for each species of fish produced or traded in Australia
  • Includes agreed names for over 600 commercially important domestic and imported species, and over 5,000 other domestic finfish
  • Was approved by Standards Australia as an official Australian Standard in 2007
  • Was developed by the Australian Fish Names Committee.


The Standard specifies that:

  • Fish sold to consumers (e.g., retail sales and restaurants) must be identified by their standard fish name
  • Fish sold other than directly to consumers (e.g., wholesale, export, import) must be identified by their standard fish name or scientific name.

The need for standard fish names:

  • Accuracy of trade descriptors and labelling
  • Public and consumer confidence
  • Efficiency in seafood marketing
  • Effective fisheries monitoring and management
  • Sustainability of fisheries resources
  • Effective traceability and food safety management
  • Industry viability and profitability


The Australian Fish Names Standard is funded and hosted by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. 

The development and maintenance of this standard is the responsibility of the Fish Names Committee and comprises representatives from key seafood industry stakeholders (seafood producers, marketers, retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, seafood processors and importers), government and world’s best fisheries taxonomists and fisheries scientists.

End users and the general public are also consulted widely on applications under consideration by the Fish Names Committee. 

For further information on The Australian Fish Names Standard and/or to access the Fish Names Database, please visit FRDC's Fish Names website.