The Minns Government is cracking down on the illegal abalone and seafood trade in restaurants and other outlets, completing a three-day compliance blitz across Sydney.
Joint covert and overt operations were undertaken over 14-16 February to disrupt the black-market seafood trade, when restaurants and other seafood outlets purchase abalone, fish and other seafood outside the legal supply chain.
Fisheries officers and food inspectors from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) inspected 15 restaurants across the city, from the CBD and inner west to the north shore, western suburbs and southern Sydney.
The inspections were carried out to ensure all seafood for sale in each premises was purchased from legitimate sources, such as commercial fishers, co-ops and fish markets, or other licenced fish receivers, with premise owners required to provide purchase records.
The sale of illegal seafood undermines legitimate operators and commercial fishers who work hard to provide consumers with safe and premium quality seafood.
The three-day compliance operation primarily focused on black market abalone illegally poached from fisheries on the NSW South Coast and sold to restaurants wanting to bypass the legal supply chain because of monetary gain. During the operation:
- 15 premises were inspected by NSW Fisheries Officers and Food Authority Compliance Officers in locations where abalone is sold in restaurants, including the CBD, Marrickville, Burwood, Hurstville and Eastwood.
- Seven of those premises were found to be selling abalone that was not labelled in accordance with the NSW abalone labelling regulations. The offences will be dealt with by way of formal written caution, and penalty infringement notice.
- A total of 106 abalone were seized from four separate premises, including frozen black lip abalone and a quantity of dried abalone.
- The total weight of abalone seized was approximately 15kg. The average price these abalone were being sold for was $120/kg for frozen black lip, while dried abalone can retail more than $1000/kg.
The estimated total illegal, unreported and unregulated catch for abalone in 2025/26 was 30 tonnes.
Due to the impact of illegal poaching of abalone this year the Government had to reduce the total allowable catch for commercial fishers by 12%, based on scientific advice that was concerned by the depletion occurring.
The Government is progressing the introduction of new regulation that will strengthen the requirement of restaurants to only buy from the legal commercial supply chain.
The penalties for involvement in the black-market seafood trade are severe, with fines and possible imprisonment for both sellers and buyers.
In NSW, legally harvested abalone is labelled to show it meets regulatory requirements, while Eastern Rock Lobsters are tagged to prove they have been legally caught.
The public are urged to report illegal or suspected illegal fishing activities to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or via the online report form.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
“I have instructed Fisheries Compliance officers to undertake this major seafood crackdown so that we are able to guarantee the sustainability of our seafood industry now and into the future.
“We are working hard to undermine the black market for abalone and lobster by going after the restaurants and markets that think they will be able to get away with buying illegal product.
“These compliance activities are going to continue, and restaurants and illegal sellers are on notice that NSW fisheries officers could soon be walking through their doors.
“The NSW commercial fishing and aquaculture industries are a cornerstone of our regional economy, supporting thousands of jobs and delivering premium produce to tables across the state.
“I have moved to introduce new regulation to close a loophole, so that restaurants and buyers of abalone can only buy from the legal commercial supply chain. We are moving to sideline the black-market supply chain and close it down.”