Stallholders wanting to sell knock-off Aboriginal art souvenirs will in the future be banned from the Top End's famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, according to management.

Key points: Ethical art stallholders and market management have called for tougher legislation to outlaw the trade of knock-off Indigenous art

Ethical art stallholders and market management have called for tougher legislation to outlaw the trade of knock-off Indigenous art A Productivity Commission inquiry called for by a Commonwealth inquiry into the fake art trade is no closer to fruition

A Productivity Commission inquiry called for by a Commonwealth inquiry into the fake art trade is no closer to fruition Both major parties have voiced their willingness to address the issue, but so far have given no timeframe or details

Policing the issue of fake art at Mindil can be tricky, and stallholders who already have a foothold in the markets selling imported wares mimicking Indigenous Australian designs may be difficult to remove.

But when asked if the markets would ban future stallholders who wanted to sell such products, general manager Peter Ayre said: "Yes, I would indeed."

"It's all but impossible for us to police every piece of art that goes through this place," Mr Ayre said.

It can be difficult for tourists to sift through what is authentic Indigenous art, like this stall, and what's fake. ( ABC News: Matt Garrick )

Chinese and Indonesian-manufactured coasters, tea towels and other souvenir products, some of which are blatantly still for sale at the markets, have been among the hardest to monitor, as they are being hawked by long-established stallholders who don't have to abide by newly installed policies which mean only handmade goods can be sold.

"It's at the moment very difficult for us to address that," Mr Ayre said.

"Some sort of legislation would be perfect, and I'm sure we'd welcome that."

Larrakia artist Jack Roe said the fake art trade was inflicting real damage on the local industry.

"I think it's very degrading because our culture that's in Australia is very strong, and basically, it's going to kill our culture off if it continues," Mr Roe said.

"I don't think it's fair on Indigenous people, because they're the ones that are producing the artwork, and then fake artwork comes in, and it's actually going to cut the middleman out."

Fake art souvenir seller puts onus on suppliers

National laws to stamp out the trade of phony Aboriginal art manufactured in China are no closer to fruition, with neither major party fully committing to tougher legislation if it wins government on May 18.

Nearly six months on from a landmark report commissioned by the Coalition Government aimed at halting the trade of foreign knock-offs "as a matter of urgency" to protect the intellectual copyright of Indigenous Australian artists, not much appears to have been done to meet the report's recommendations.

Mindil Beach Sunset Markets general manager Peter Ayre wants to see the government clamp down on fake Aboriginal art. ( ABC News: Matt Garrick )

"The committee recommends that the Australian Government begins a consultation process to develop stand-alone legislation protecting Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property, including traditional knowledge and cultural expressions," the report read.

The report also called for a Productivity Commission inquiry into the trade to be established, which, according to a commission spokesman, was no closer to being unveiled.

And so, the trade continues — albeit, frowned upon by some other stallholders — in the middle of Mindil Markets.

One stallholder selling some of these Aboriginal-designed knock-off souvenirs which he conceded were made in China, and who would only give his first name of Ellis, put the onus on his suppliers to police the issue.

"We buy from suppliers, not in Darwin," he said.

"Most of it they still pay royalties to whoever they're meant to pay … when you buy off a supplier they pay the rights to the artist, it's not our problem, it's not our issue to go pay them.

"I would assume they are … I've got enough issues with my own shop to worry about policing artwork royalties that aren't paid."

Stallholders call for more education, labelling

Other "ethically-sourced" Indigenous art sellers operating in the market, such as West Arnhem Land's Indigenous-owned Injalak Arts, have been calling for a clampdown on the trade.

"I think it's very important [to pass legislation]. We need to have that happening as soon as possible," said Injalak's Kathy Gardenal.

Kathy Gardenal from Injalak Arts says fake art takes money from the authentic industry. ( ABC News: Matt Garrick )

She said as a start she wanted to see "clearer labelling, so that you know what you're getting".

Another stallholder, Irene Singh from Sophie's Boutique and Gifts — who sells products sewn from ethically-sourced Indigenous fabrics — agreed with the call to restrict stallholders selling knock-off goods.

"When people are selling not-authentic Aboriginal art, they're actually taking the royalties away from the Aboriginal people," Ms Singh said.

"And most of the tourists that come here, they look for the authentic art, [but] I think there should be more education on that."

A spokesman for the Coalition's Arts Minister, Mitch Fifield, committed to "preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of our First Australians".

"Ahead of the committee finalising its inquiry, the Coalition implemented a number of mechanisms to address this issue, including launching a pilot in 2018 to test digital labelling and providing increased funding for the Indigenous Art Code," she said.

Labor's arts spokesman Tony Burke said "fake art isn't only an attack on First Nations artists, it's a direct attack on culture" and said he had been consulting with stakeholders.