Australia is getting older — and poorer, at least in real terms.
Recent commentary from COTA Australia’s State of the Older Nation, the Reserve Bank’s ongoing focus on inflation and interest rates, and the steady contraction of domestic seafood supply all point to the same uncomfortable reality:
Seafood affordability is becoming a silent casualty of broader policy decisions.
For people living on fixed incomes, the squeeze is already here.
Fixed Incomes Don’t Bend — Prices Do
COTA’s work highlights that many older Australians are living on tight, inflexible budgets. Whether income comes from the Age Pension, superannuation, or modest savings, there is limited capacity to absorb higher living costs.
Interest rate decisions by the Reserve Bank — while aimed at controlling inflation — ripple through the economy in ways that hit fixed-income households hardest:
- higher rents
- higher insurance and utilities
- higher food prices
Unlike wages, fixed incomes do not rise with inflation. Every dollar matters.
Food choices respond quickly — and seafood is often one of the first items cut.
Seafood Is Nutritious — and Increasingly Out of Reach
This is deeply problematic.
Seafood plays a critical role in healthy ageing, supporting:
- muscle maintenance
- heart and brain health
- reduced inflammation
- overall diet quality
Yet seafood prices are particularly sensitive to:
- fuel and logistics costs
- labour shortages
- supply volatility
- retail pricing structures
When affordability declines, older consumers don’t simply “trade down” — they often opt out altogether, replacing seafood with cheaper, more processed alternatives.
This is a nutrition issue, not a lifestyle choice.
Shrinking Domestic Supply, Rising Consumer Pressure
At the same time, domestic seafood supply is under growing strain.
Closures and restrictions affecting commercial fisheries across Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales — driven by policy reform, reallocation of access, and changing management frameworks — are reducing the availability of locally caught seafood.
For consumers, this can mean:
- less local product
- greater reliance on imports
- higher prices for remaining domestic supply
- reduced choice and familiarity
While sustainability and resource management are essential, consumer affordability and food security are rarely discussed alongside these decisions.
Yet the impacts are felt directly at the retail counter.
The Compounding Effect: Prices, Transparency and Trust
For older Australians on fixed incomes, the problem is not just higher prices — it’s uncertain prices.
When seafood pricing is:
- opaque
- heavily promotion-driven
- tied to loyalty schemes
- inconsistent online and in-store
consumers lose confidence. They stop experimenting, stop planning, and often stop buying.
Transparency becomes a protective measure.
Clear prices allow people to:
- budget accurately
- plan meals around affordable options
- maintain seafood in their regular diet
Opacity does the opposite — it accelerates withdrawal.
Seafood Affordability Is a Policy Issue
The combined effects of:
- macroeconomic tightening
- supermarket pricing practices
- declining domestic supply
mean seafood affordability can no longer be treated as a niche concern.
It sits at the intersection of:
- health policy
- ageing policy
- food security
- competition and consumer protection
- fisheries and environmental management
Ignoring the consumer lens risks well-intended policies producing unintended harm.
Keeping Seafood on the Plate
If Australia wants healthier ageing and reduced long-term pressure on the health system, seafood must remain economically accessible to people on fixed incomes.
That means:
- transparency, not complexity
- fairness, not fragmentation
- policy alignment, not silos
The State of the Older Nation makes one thing clear: many older Australians are already making hard choices.
The question is whether seafood policy and retail practice will make those choices easier — or harder.
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