Australian seafood importers are allegedly fooling traders, caterers and the public by “short-weighting” their goods; using additives and water to increase the weight of fish.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The accusation came from the Seafood Importers Association of Australasia, which called for the development of uniform laws to counter offenders.


Association vice-chairman Elaine Burn told The Age that the practice is almost an accepted part of the Australian seafood industry and it is so widespread that honest companies are loosing market share.


Association chairman Harry Peters added: “Instead of a kilo of prawns you might get 900 grams of prawns and 100 grams of water.”


Most likely candidates for short-weighting are the products that easily absorb water, such as prawns, fish fillets, octopus, scallops and squid.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact