Seafood labelling to identify imported prawns and barramundi

Prawn farmers believe their industry could massively expand if key issues holding back investment were resolved.

"It's not fair for consumers."

Helen Jenkins is also concerned about specific practices used overseas like that of antibiotics.

"We believe they are using last resort antibiotics to treat disease," she said.

"I know Oxytetracycline would be one of them."

High levels of antibiotics can produce a reaction among some consumers that are allergic to them and Ms Jenkins says she is aware of one possible case in Australia.

Overuse of antibiotics in animal production industries is also adding to the problem of resistance developing in bacteria to a range of antibiotics which is reducing their effectiveness.

The issue also affects producers in Australia who can't use antibiotics.

"It's not a level playing field if they are allowed to bring in products [using] antibiotics and we're not allowed to use them in Australia."

The industry is looking for technology that can test if imported product is being sold under an Australian label as proving fraud is difficult.

Ms Jenkins says there may be some solutions in testing technology used in other food industries.

Chris Calogeras from the Australian Barramundi Farmers Association says labelling would help consumers identify Australian product, which he argues is especially for species like barramundi.

"Barramundi has an iconic Australian name and so when people buy Barramundi they assume their buying Australian fish, and they're not!"

Between five and six thousand tonnes of barramundi are produced in Australian each year, valued at $50-60 million.

About 1,500 tonnes is caught wild, while 13,000 tonnes are imported.

Greenpeace also addressed the inquiry and says while it supports labelling of Australian versus imported seafood, they say it's not simple enough to say all Australian seafood is good and all imported seafood is bad.

The industry is forecasting massive expansion if green tape preventing new investment can be removed and labelling and proper compliance can protect Australian seafood in the market place.

Helen Jenkins says prawn farming could be as much as 17 times bigger as overseas investors want to buy into production systems in Australia.

"We all talk about 2050, the population will be nine billion," she said.

"Overseas [investors] are already looking at coming here, farming here in Australia and exporting overseas."

That could increase the number of people employed in prawn farming from 350 currently, up to 5,000.