Good fish, bad fish for Easter

Easter is one of the most popular times of the year for eating fish. But are you choosing seafood that align with your values?

Some of Australia's most popular seafood choices are linked to overfishing, impacts on threatened species, and habitat damage.

GoodFish - an independent guide to sustainable seafood - is urging Australians to think twice before choosing some seafood staples for their Good Friday menu.

The GoodFish list of popular choices to avoid includes Tasmanian farmed Atlantic salmon, imported squid, some wild-caught prawns and some flake (shark), although most gummy shark is sustainable. 

“Australians love seafood, and most expect what they’re buying over Easter to be sustainable, but that’s not always the case," says sustainable seafood guide program manager Adrian Meder.

“Some of our most popular seafood options are linked to serious impacts like overfishing, bycatch of threatened species including dolphins and sawfish, as well as serious habitat damage. Armed with this information, shoppers have the power to take their dollars elsewhere and reward fisheries doing the right thing.

“In Australia, we are really lucky to have sustainable alternatives readily available. People often feel sustainability is out of their hands, but with seafood, a simple swap at the counter genuinely makes a difference.

“Our free GoodFish app puts that power directly in shoppers’ hands. Sustainable seafood doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve made it quick, practical and accessible for everyday shoppers, using a clear traffic light system so people can easily choose seafood that has a light touch on our ocean.”

Among the fish to say "no" to are Tasmanian farmed Atlantic salmon. 

Goodfish says this industry is linked to serious and ongoing environmental issues, including pollution, killing protected seals, contamination of wild fish, and mass fish kills, and antibiotic use so heavy that fishers have been warned to stay kilometres away from some sites.

"Most critically, salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour could drive the extinction of the Maugean skate – a critically endangered species found nowhere else on Earth."

GoodFish says Atlantic salmon just aren’t suited to Australian oceanic conditions. Tasmania is the warmest place in the world where salmon are farmed on an industrial scale, and rising water temperatures place increasing heat stress on the fish. This weakens their immune systems and allows disease to spread rapidly through the crowded pens, hence the widespread use of antibiotics.

Instead, diners are encouraged to look at NZ-farmed king salmon, Australian-farmed barramundi, Murray cod or native Australian salmon.

Others to avoid include wild-caught barramundi from Queensland and the Northern Territory, which are caught using gillnets, which are known to entangle and kill a wide range of threatened marine animals, including dolphins, dugongs, turtles, hammerhead sharks, and critically endangered sawfish.

Bad Bunny: Yes, your chocolate Easter egg has shrunk

No, your eyes do not deceive you.

Your Cadbury chocolate Easter eggs are smaller - and more expensive - for second year in a row.

Consumer organisation CHOICE has found shrinkflation is a holiday issue for chocolate lovers.

Last year, CHOICE revealed several examples of Easter eggs from global snack giants and supermarket home brands being guilty

Despite falling wholesale cocoa prices, manufacturers like Cadbury have doubled-down on the practice, continuing to cut the sizes of products already impacted in previous years, while retail prices for these items continue to climb, CHOICE says.

Easter is the perfect time for indulging in chocolate treats, and a great opportunity to set up Easter egg hunts for the kids. Unfortunately - but not surprisingly - Cadbury has delivered a cut in size, but a rise in price, to some of their Easter chocolates for the second year in a row,” says CHOICE journalist Liam Kennedy.

“Last year, we pointed out that Cadbury’s then 22-pack of hollow hunting eggs was coming with two fewer eggs than in 2024, and selling for an extra $2.50.

"Since then, the company has cut two more eggs from the carton and the product’s price has gone up by another $3.

"All up, the former 24-pack of eggs has shrunk by 68g and increased in price by $5.50 since 2024, meaning consumers are now paying almost 73% more per 100g than they were two years ago.

“Cadbury’s largest hollow egg box is not the only product to have shrunk. In the past 12 months, Cadbury’s entire range of boxed hollow Easter eggs have been hit by shrinkflation - each carton now contains at least one fewer egg than it did last year. In one case, a 15-pack currently selling for $15 has replaced an 18-pack that sold for $13.50 last year.”

CHOICE found Easter eggs aren’t the only products shrinking.

“Hot cross buns have also fallen victim to shrinkflation, with smaller buns now on shelves without any reduction in price. Aldi’s Rocky Road and Banoffee Inspired buns are both 20g lighter than they were this time last year.

Manufacturers told CHOICE that rising production and supply chain costs were driving the changes.

“Currently, the government is considering introducing mandatory notices to alert shoppers when a product has undergone shrinkflation," Kennedy says. "Shrinkflation is hard to spot, so these notices should be clear and placed near the product for a reasonable period to ensure consumers are aware of the change."

Read the full story: www.choice.com.au/eastershrinkflation

Why visitors to Europe may need to be patient from April

Travelers heading to Europe from next month could face longer airport queues as the EU rolls out its new Entry/Exit System (EES) across Schengen airports.

The change comes into place on April 10 and replaces passport stamps with biometric registration for non-EU travellers, including Britons, Americans, Canadians and Australians.

While designed to modernise border controls, the early weeks of implementation could mean longer processing times at major hubs, particularly during peak Easter and spring break travel.

“While the scheme is designed to modernise border controls and tighten security, the early days of the rollout could bring delays, especially at busy hubs such as Paris (Charles de Gaulle, above), Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO at eSIM provider Saily.

From April 10, passport stamps will gradually disappear, first-time travellers under the new system will be required to register biometric data, airports may introduce new self-service kiosks and border checks could take longer during the transition period.

April marks the start of Europe’s high season for city breaks and long weekends. With more people travelling for Easter escapes and sunshine getaways, any added processing time at border control could quickly build up.

“Whenever a new airport system launches, there’s a natural adjustment period," Maknickas says.

"Spring is one of the busiest times for short haul travel into Europe.

"Travellers should allow extra time at arrival and be prepared for slightly slower border checks, particularly if it’s their first visit under the new system. When procedures change, small delays can create stress, especially in unfamiliar airports.”

Maknickas suggests allowing extra time for arrival, especially for tight connections, following airport signage carefully, as some terminals may introduce separate EES lanes and ensuring mobile connectivity on arrival to access boarding passes, transfer tickets and live travel updates.

Chocolates all round for Qantas passengers over Easter

It is one of those times of the year when experienced flyers opt to stay at home.

Flights are chock-a-block and airports are at capacity.

Qantas and Jetstar are gearing up for almost four million customers to travel across domestic and international networks on almost 36,000 flights throughout Easter and the four-week school holiday period.

More than 670,000 customers are expected to be travelling over the Easter long weekend alone on the two Qantas Group carriers, an increase of almost 10% on the 2023 Easter holidays.

Easter Thursday (that's tomorrow folks) is the single busiest day, with more than 150,000 customers travelling across the group.

Popular destinations for holidaymakers include Auckland, Singapore, Bali and Tokyo as well as Gold Coast, Hobart and Cairns.

A number of additional measures across the Qantas Group will be in place over the holidays including up to 15 Qantas and Jetstar aircraft on standby as "operational spares" providing an extra buffer in the event of disruptions.

The Group is also working with industry partners to have extra staff available including additional ground handlers on standby and airport security screeners, while Qantas Engineering has set up a dedicated maintenance teams to increase maintenance activity on its aircraft.

From Easter Friday until Easter Monday, customers travelling across the Qantas network can expect a number of Easter surprises including chocolates for customers at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane domestic airports.

On Jetstar, customers will be treated to bunny ear headbands and Easter colouring packs and pencils for travelling kids

Fingers crossed for all concerned.

Looking for a last-minute Easter city getaway?

Looking for a last-minute city break over the Easter holidays? Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand, has today unveiled some special offers as part of its City Sale.

Travellers booking a getaway between April 7-10 can save up to 30% on stays of two nights or longer, for travel over the upcoming Easter school holiday period and up until June 30.

There are 130+ participating city hotels and apartments across Australia and New Zealand.

Members of ALL - Accor Live Limitless, Accor’s lifestyle loyalty program, also receive an additional incentive to book with up to 6,000 Reward points available when they register and book up to three stays.

Visit all.com to take advantage of the deals but the offer ends on Sunday.

Star deals include two nights at the ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street (above) in the heart of the CBD from $264.60 for a two-night stay – a saving of 30%, and two nights at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel (top image) from $364 for a two-night stay, also a 30% reduction.


In Auckland, the recently refurbished Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour has a two-night stay for NZD$544.60.

Goodbye Christmas; hello Easter: commercialism gone mad

 

It is probably not the season to be churlish. Many of us are still celebrating Christmas with family and friends. 

Yet odious marketers from the big supermarkets are already spruiking their wares for Easter. On December 27. 

A pox on them, I say. 

First off the blocks in blocks in the race to be the most crassly commercial were Coles, with a press release sent to media at 6.20am this morning about their Vegemite hot cross buns. 

Hot cross buns! 

When most of us still have Christmas and Christmas pudding left over.

But there is no hope of restraint from big business when there are big bucks to be made. 

Here is the Coles' bumpf from this morning. Make up your own minds about their greedy opportunism. 

"Coles’ award-winning hot cross buns are getting a mitey makeover this year with Coles launching a brand-new flavour combination in partnership with Bega Cheese Limited – the Vegemite Hot Cross Bun.

"Available in more than 700 Coles supermarkets nationwide from December 27 (that's today), the limited-edition combination of sweet and savoury is the latest in a series of flavour mash-ups from Coles, which has previously wowed customers with buns in Lamington, Raspberry and White Chocolate and Sticky Date and Butterscotch flavours.

"Best toasted and slathered with butter or grilled toasted sandwich style with lots of melty cheese, the soft buns are infused with Vegemite and parmesan and finished with an indulgent tasty cheese topping."

And on and on it drones with the memorably awful line: "Vegemite is one of those things that makes Australia wonderful." 

As flavour combinations go, I've heard of worse ideas. But it is December 27.

Could you not, at least, have waited until the new year?