New Quota Species - Summary information
The Director General of the Department of Primary Industries has made Total Allowable Catch (TAC) fishing determinations for 2019/20 for 17 new species or species groups to be quota managed.
These TACs are based on scientific assessments, available economic and social information, and submissions made during public consultation.
A brief summary for each of the new quota managed species is included below.
Stock status colour coding
GREEN
Sustainable
Sustainable
YELLOW
Moderate uncertainty
Moderate uncertainty
RED
Overfished or depleting
Overfished or depleting
Species: Beachworms
Stock status: Undefined
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Estuary General Hand Gathering only
- Catch range 5.1 - 11.4 tonnes
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Important recreational species
- Recreational catch moderate (25% of total catch in 2013/14)
- Bag limit: 20
Commonwealth catch: N/A
IAP Recommendation: 95% catch, 5% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 7.7 tonnes
*Note quota to be allocated as number of worms
Species: Cockles
Stock status: Undefined.
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Estuary General Hand Gathering only
- Catch range 16.8 - 78.7 tonnes
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Combined bag limit (with Cockles, Mussels and Pipi): 50
Commonwealth commercial catch: N/A
IAP Recommendation: 95% catch, 5% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 29.2 tonnes
Species: Ghost nipper
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Estuary General Hand Gathering only
- Catch range 2.6 - 5.1 tonnes
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Important recreational species
- Recreational catch high
- Bag limit: 100
Commonwealth catch: N/A
IAP Recommendation: 95% catch, 5% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 5.1 tonnes (Note quota to be allocated as number of nippers)
Species: Pipi
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Estuary General Hand Gathering only
- Catch range 9 - 176 tonnes
Recreational catch:
- Recreational catch low
- Combined bag limit (with Cockles, Mussels and Pipi): 50
Commonwealth commercial catch: N/A
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 147.4 tonnes
Species: Australian sardine
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken by Ocean Hauling Purse Seine, some catch for bait in Ocean Trap and Line fishery
- Catch range 228 - 1372 tonnes (Ocean Hauling only)
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Recreational catch low
- Bag limit: 100
Commonwealth catch:
- Catch mostly made up of state catches
- Total Allowable Catch (TAC) often uncaught
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 2,744.0 tonnes
Species: Blue mackerel
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken by Ocean Hauling Purse Seine, some catch for bait in Ocean Trap and Line fishery
- Catch range 184 - 379 tonnes (Ocean Hauling only)
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Recreational catch moderate (27% of total catch in 13/14)
- Bag limit 50
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Historically catch mostly made up of state catches
- Recent high catches in Commonwealth
- Total Allowable Catch (TAC) often uncaught
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 757.8 tonnes
Species: Yellowtail scad
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken by Ocean Hauling Purse Seine, some catch for bait in Ocean Trap and Line fishery
- Catch range 228 - 432 tonnes (Ocean Hauling only)
- Few fishing businesses responsible for the majority of catch
Recreational catch:
- Recreational catch low
- Combined bag limit (with Jack mackerel and Yellowtail scad): 50
Commonwealth catch: Not subject to Commonwealth quota management
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 864.0 tonnes
Species: Bass groper
Stock status: Undefined
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East only
- Catch range 2.1 - 6.1 tonnes
Recreational fishers:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Combined bag limit (with Hapuku, Banded rock cod, Bass groper, Gemfish, Blue-eye trevalla): 5
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Not subject to commonwealth quota management
- Commonwealth catch (combined Hapuku & Bass groper) high
- Range approximately 20 - 50 tonnes
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 6.1 tonnes
Species: Bigeye ocean perch
Stock status: Not overfished and uncertain if subject to overfishing.
Commercial fishers:
- Mostly taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East, some catch in Ocean Trawl fishery
- Catch range 10.5 - 21 tonnes (excluding Ocean Trawl)
- Uncertainty regarding accuracy of reporting
Recreational catch:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Bag limit 20
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Commonwealth catch range of Ocean Perch (Bigeye and Inshore) 200 - 400 tonnes
- Low discards for Bigeye ocean perch (11% in 2014)
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 21.0 tonnes
Species: Blue-eye trevalla
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East only
- Catch range 13.3 - 50.7 tonnes
Recreational catch:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Combined bag limit (with Hapuku, Banded rockcod, Bass groper, Gemfish, Blue-eye trevalla): 5
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Commonwealth catch range approximately 300 - 500 tonnes
- Low discards (less than 1% in 2016/17)
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 30.0 tonnes
Species: Gemfish
Stock status: Overfished
Commercial fishers:
- Taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East, some catch in Ocean Trawl fishery
- Catch range 3.2 - 19.2 tonnes (Line East only)
- Trip limit of 50kg retained for Ocean Trawl fishery
Recreational catch:
- Low recreational catch
- Bag limit 2
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Total allowable Catch (TAC) to cover bycatch
- Commonwealth catch higher than state
- High discards (approximately 50%)
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 7.1 tonnes
Species: Hapuku
Stock status: Undefined
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East only
- Catch range 1.2 - 5.2 tonnes
Recreational catch:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Combined bag limit (with Hapuku, Banded rock cod, Bass groper, Gemfish, Blue-eye trevalla): 5
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Not subject to Commonwealth quota management
- Commonwealth catch (combined Hapuku & Bass groper) high, range approximately 20 - 50 tonnes
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 5.2 tonnes
Species: Pink ling
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Taken by Ocean Trap and Line - Line East only
- Catch range 40.7 - 67.7 tonnes
Recreational catch:
- Uncertainty regarding recreational catch
- Bag limit 20
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Commonwealth catch is eastern and western stocks combined
- Catch range approximately 900 - 1200 tonnes
- Low discards (approximately 4%)
- Significant under-reporting
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 67.7 tonnes
Species: Bluespotted flathead
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken in Ocean Trawl - Fish Northern Zone, with low amounts in Estuary General fishery and Southern Fish Trawl
- Catch range 72.5 - 176.5 tonnes (Ocean Trawl only)
- Moderate level of misreporting as unspecified flathead
Recreational catch:
- Important recreational species
- Recreational catch high (more than 65% of total catch)
- Bag limit 10
- Possession limit 20 (combined Bluespotted and Tiger flathead)
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Part of basket quota (5 species) with assessment and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) based on Tiger flathead,
- Bluespotted flathead a small proportion of flathead catch
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 108.1 tonnes
Species: Eastern school whiting and Stout whiting (combined)
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Taken in Ocean Trawl Inshore Prawn, Ocean Trawl Offshore Prawn and Ocean Trawl - Fish Northern Zone, some catch in Southern Fish Trawl
- Catch range 611.6 - 1189.1 tonnes (Ocean Trawl only)
- Catch mostly made up of Eastern school whiting
Recreational catch:
- Recreational catch low (0.1% of total catch in 13/14)
- Bag limit 20 of a single species or combination of whiting species
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Commonwealth catch of Eastern school whiting equal to state catch, low discards (5-10%)
- Stout whiting catch in QLD is high (80% of total catch), high discards
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 1,189.1 tonnes
Species: Silver trevally
Stock status: Transitional depleting
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken in Ocean Trawl fishery, with high catch in Southern Fish Trawl, Ocean Trap and Line and Estuary General fisheries
- Catch range 20.2 - 36 tonnes (Ocean Trawl only)
- Significant discarding due to size limit
- Catch rate decreasing.
Recreational catch:
- Important recreational species
- Recreational catch moderate (16% of total catch, but more than Ocean Trawl catch)
- Bag limit 10
- Possession limit 20
- Catch rate decreasing.
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- Commonwealth catch approximately equal to NSW catch (but more than Ocean Trawl catch)
- Moderate discards
- Assessed at jurisdiction levels due to uncertain stock structure
- Assessed as sustainable in Commonwealth, with high uncertainty
- Total Allowable Catch (TAC) generally undercaught.
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 26.8 tonnes
Species: Tiger flathead
Stock status: Sustainable
Commercial catch:
- Mostly taken by Ocean Trawl fishery, Moderate catch in Southern Fish Trawl
- Catch range 76.7 - 166.9 tonnes (Ocean Trawl only)
- Moderate level of misreporting as unspecified flathead
Recreational catch:
- Low recreational catch (approximately 10% of NSW catch)
- Bag limit 10
- Possession limit 20 (combined Bluespotted and Tiger flathead)
Commonwealth commercial catch:
- High catch in Commonwealth ( approximately 3,000 tonnes)
- Low discards (less than 10%)
IAP Recommendation: 80% catch, 20% shares
Total Allowable Catch: 166.9 tonnes
