Use of standard Fish Names achieves outcomes that are consistent with the aims of industry and governments:
1. Reduced mis-reporting improves fisheries monitoring, stock assessment and sustainability.
2. Reduced confusion over fish names increases efficiency in seafood marketing, consumer confidence and industry profitability.
3. Improved accuracy in trade descriptions and labelling enables consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing seafood and reduces the potential for misleading and deceptive conduct.
4. Improved traceability results in more efficient management of seafood related public health incidents (including recalls) and food safety.

The commitment to standardizing Fish Names in Australia has been undertaken since the late 1970s. Strategic investments by the FRDC and SSA leadership on standardizing Fish Names culminated in the development of the Australian Fish Names Standard AS-SSA 5300-2007(AFNS).

Public and consumer confidence is vital to the well being of Australia’s seafood industry. Standard Fish Names remove confusion, strengthen consumer confidence, create market efficiency, underpin effective fisheries monitoring and improve management of food safety.

The AFNS contains agreed names for over 600 commercially important domestic and imported species of fish, and over 4,000 other domestic fish species. The process of assigning these agreed names involved the expertise of several of the world’s best fisheries taxonomists and other key stakeholders.

Development of the AFNS is underpinned by rigorous procedures agreed to by government, industry and other stakeholders and which are administered by SSA and its Fish Names Committee.

SSA is one of only 5 Standards Development Organizations (SDO) accredited by Standards Australia.

SSA has ongoing commitments to Standards Australia (including annual accreditation and audit costs) which must be met to maintain its accreditation as an SDO. Failure to do so will result in the Australian Fish Names Standard ceasing to exist and all files, etc passed on to Standards Australia.