Something fishy about imports, but seafood bill still on the hook
Queensland seafood diners have no way of knowing if their meal has come from Australia or a polluted river overseas, a situation that Queenslandās Parliament is unlikely to change.
KAP Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter has little confidence the Palaszczuk Government will overturn its rejection of the seafood labelling bill, the subject of protracted debate in the Queensland Parliament.
The KAPās proposed amendments would bring dining outlets selling seafood in line with the retail sector and enforce country of origin labelling so diners know where their seafood has been caught or farmed.
A packed parliamentary schedule, which saw 13 bills brought before the house on Tuesday, forced the second reading of the bill during a late sitting into adjournment, leaving its passage hanging in the balance until next week.
The Labor Government has already rejected the KAP bill, prompting Katter and his colleagues Shane Knuth and Nick Dametto to stage a ālast-ditch appealā to keep the bill alive.
Industry representatives Ian Hamilton Snr from Queensland Seafood Marketers Association, Richard Hamilton from Queensland Seafood Industry Association, and Kim Hooper from Australian Prawn Farmers Association have joined them in the fight.
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Katter said the government had two choices: to continue allowing the deceit of selling inferior product for a higher price, or enforcing truth and pride in putting clean, green product on customersā plates.
āAt the moment, you can be buying fish thatās labelled barramundi in the shop and it can be Asian sea bass from the Mekong Delta which is one of the most polluted rivers in the world,ā he said.
āThereās a high level of deceit where people can offer the same inferior quality imported product for a higher price.ā
Katter wrote to all 52 Queensland Labor MPs last week asking them to reconsider their rejection of the bill and do the right thing by Queenslanders. He suggested their opposition was down to professional jealousy.
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āItās not their bill so theyāre not going to pass it; it defies logic and it rips away from the pride we have as Queenslanders,ā he said.
Dametto said theĀ simple change to labelling could meanĀ increased demand for local seafood, meaning more local jobs, more money for local business, and more growth for Queensland and Australian businesses.
āIām a proud Queenslander and Queenslanders should be proud about the product thatās produced right here in Queensland, whether itās farm fresh or whether itās coming from wild-caught ā seafood across Queensland is some of the best youāll find across the world,ā he said.
āEveryone seems to have a social conscience these days, thatās why consumers are buying free-range eggs or organically-grown food; we should know where our seafood is coming from because the reality is, in Australia, we have the best growing and environmental standards in the world when it comes toĀ producing farmed seafood ā overseas, not so much.ā
Dametto said if people saw some of the of the footage and imagery of how seafood was produced overseas, most would make the decision to buy Australian-grown.
Executive officer of Australian Prawn Farmers Association Kim Hooper said displaying a little āiā to indicate imported produce would not only help consumers make informed choices but promote growth in the industry.
āWe have such quality, reputable Queensland seafood ā¦ it also would help growth of both aquaculture and seafood in relation to being able to differentiate the fact that it is home-grown or caught,ā she said.
Government staffers told InQueensland there would be no comment on the bill until after it was debated in Parliament.
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