Barramundi battle: Aussie anglers fight for iconic Australian name

Australian barramundi farmers want their produce to be given the champagne treatment, launching a petition calling for the name to be protected by law.

The word barramundi is an Aboriginal name, but the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association claims 60 per cent of fish sold as barramundi in Australia is actually imported Asian Seabass.

If the online petition is successful, only Australian fish will be able to be sold as barramundi.

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It's the same protection afforded to products like champagne, which must come from the Champagne region of France, and fetta cheese which must be imported from Greece.

Tim Bade runs the Spring Creek Barramundi farm in North Queensland. He says most people would be shocked to learn how much of their seafood is imported.

"Ask for Aussie barra," he said.

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"Ask where your seafood has come from, so you know that it's an Australian product and it's not something from overseas being flogged off as something that's produced locally.

"Australian barra is just so much better than what you can get in an imported product."

Gold Coast seafood restaurant Shuck sources its barramundi from Tim at Spring Creek.

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Head chef Kristian Howard agrees that the local produce can't be beaten.

"Everything we can source locally we do," he said.

"It gives a good talking point, and the diners know they're getting quality ingredients."

Katters Australian Party is using World Barramundi Day to announce an election commitment to protect the Australian seafood industry.

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Traeger MP Robbie Katter promising to table legislation forcing restaurants to tell diners where seafood has originated from.

"If you sell seafood at a supermarket you must indicate the country of origin, but we don't do that in our cafes, restaurants, fish and chip shops and that's what needs to be done," he told media today.

"We want to support Aussie producers and in this case Queensland producers.

"It's possible to pass legislation through Queensland to protect our producers."