Territory seafood consumers will have their chance to have their say on the Territory’s first-of-its-kind seafood labelling laws, introduced by the NT Government two years ago.

The Territory introduced Australia’s first fresh produce Country of Origin labelling as a condition of licences to sell seafood in the NT in 2008.

NT Minister for Fisheries Kon Vatskalis last year also provided $17,500 to the NT Seafood Council, for a promotional campaign to encourage Territorians to buy local seafood. Fisheries production in the Territory is worth about $143 million a year.

Vatskalis said the NT Seafood Council had done a great job promoting local seafood to the wider community through the Support NT Caught campaign, and now the results of that work were being measured in Darwin.

“The Seafood Council is now carrying out important research and consumer surveys, as well as face to face surveys with 20 Darwin businesses, to obtain vital information about the impact of the NT’s seafood labelling laws.

“The information obtained will certainly assist the Government and Seafood Council in assessing the impacts of the labelling laws.

“However, results based on earlier surveys already undertaken show that labelling laws are assisting people to make informed decisions; and people are choosing local over imported when given the choice.”

Mr Vatskalis said after today’s survey is undertaken, another two will be taken next year before the Seafood Council reports there final findings back to Government.

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