What this class covers
ANZSIC class 1120 encompasses businesses in Australia that are primarily engaged in processing fish and other seafood. This involves transforming raw seafood into preserved, packaged, or value-added products for wholesale, retail, or further manufacturing. The classification applies to a wide range of processing activities, from basic preparation to more complex preservation methods. It is a critical category for industry analysis, government reporting, and understanding the structure of Australia's food manufacturing sector.
Typical operations classified here include a factory that receives whole fish to produce frozen fillets, a facility that cooks and freezes prawns, or a plant that cans tuna. Businesses operating ships that both catch and immediately process seafood at sea, known as factory trawlers, are also included. This classification is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for collecting economic data and by businesses for purposes like ABN registration and identifying relevant industry regulations.
Primary activities in plain English
Businesses in this class typically perform one or more of the following activities:
- Cleaning, grading, skinning, shelling, filleting, or boning fish and seafood.
- Freezing whole fish or seafood portions, such as fillets, scallops, or cooked prawns.
- Manufacturing canned seafood products like sardines, tuna, or salmon.
- Producing dried, smoked, or otherwise preserved seafood (e.g., smoked salmon, dried octopus).
- Making value-added products like fish cakes, fish patés, fish pastes, or crumbed/battered seafood.
- Shelling, freezing, or bottling oysters in brine.
Exclusions and nearby codes
It is important to note what this class does not cover. The key exclusion is the activity of gathering fish or other seafoods. Businesses whose main activity is catching fish (e.g., fishing boats that do not process their catch) are classified in ANZSIC Group 041: Fishing.
This class sits within the broader Group 112: Seafood Processing, which contains only this single class. Its parent categories are Subdivision 11: Food Product Manufacturing and Division C: Manufacturing.
Practical guidance
When registering for an ABN, businesses in this industry should typically use the Business Industry Code (BIC) 11200, which is directly derived from this ANZSIC class. This ensures correct classification for tax and statistical purposes. For state-based requirements like workers' compensation insurance (e.g., WorkCover), the classification may influence your premium rate, as manufacturing and processing operations have different risk profiles compared to fishing or retail.
Businesses should be aware of strict food safety regulations governed by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and enforced by state authorities. Eligibility for certain government grants or industry assistance programs for manufacturing may also be determined by this classification. Always ensure your registered industry code accurately reflects your primary revenue-generating activity for correct reporting.