The age of knowing precisely which fisherman on which boat in which harbour brought in your catch before you tuck into your fish and chips may not be too far away.
The provenance and traceability of what we eat matters more with each meal as consumer interest and knowledge reach all time highs.
Ethically produced, seasonal food has never been more in demand from Australian restaurateurs than it is today. Now it's the fishing industry that's experiencing both added scrutiny but also increased ethical standards – particularly when it comes to that sensitive and complex debate of farmed versus line-caught seafood.
With recent openings of seafood-heavy restaurants such as Merivale's latest Sydney eatery Fred's, or Cirrus from three-hat chef Brent Savage at Barangaroo or the soon-to-open Longsong in Melbourne, headed by Hobart chef David Moyle, the debate about ethical farming practice is far from over.
Savage says the sustainability issue is complex and muddy. "It's a very touchy subject because the seafood is sustainable until it's, well, not…" he tells AFR Weekend.
"I think it's more about being conscious about the fish we're choosing to use. At Cirrus we now have a system where we trace every fish we serve to the boat it was caught in. And we try and keep it as local as possible."
He says the same way we know the farms our pork chops and lamb rumps came from, restaurant menus will soon need to identify the provenance of their seafood.
"Yes it's headed in that direction, and it's not too far down the track actually," he says.
What's also a certainty with sustainably line-caught fish is a price premium for consumers, whether at the fish markets or in top-end restaurants.
As David Moyle, currently co-owner and head chef at Hobart's Franklin restaurant, explains, "the economic feasibility of fishing sustainably is out of whack".
It's the old debate of little operators versus the big guys. "If a big boat needs to get out and bring back a full load of fish, they potentially come back with nothing, and so they're out there in the sea a long time, they burn a lot of fuel, and they basically pull in a big net of whatever to make up for it.
"So you pay more for the smaller boats to not pull up loads of fish, and then it becomes more hunting than harvesting, but you get something that's been selected properly."
And despite the price premiums and price pressures from the international market, Australian consumers so far seem happy to pay up.
So what about farmed fish? Is farmed seafood relegated to the cheaper outlets and to the scrutiny of food documentaries?
"No, not all farmed fish is bad," Moyle says. "In fact, aquaculture is the way of the future, it's just how we go about it that's the key.
"With the growing population of the world, it's an efficient way to feed people, so it's definitely one of the ways forward."
Savage agrees, and says the unscrupulous farming methods of salmon in Tasmania have brought the industry into disrepute, but the tide is changing.
"Many farmers are concentrating on doing the right thing, going to great lengths to make sure they're both ethical and sustainable."
This includes fully integrated sea water tanks, growing and farming the fish in natural habitats, replicating the same eco system as closely as possible.
Both Moyle and Savage concede that it would be a naïve chef or consumer who would believe a seafood label entirely. But one way to start enjoying a better taste is to rely on the seasonality of fish and trying something other than snapper.
"Some of the most delicious fish are some of the cheapest to buy," Savage says. "Try sardines, mackerel, more oily fish. They're amazing, and only $9 a kilo."
