*

Silver Trevallies inhabit estuarine and coastal waters throughout southern temperate Australia. Of the seven separate Australian stocks, three (in WA, SA and TAS) are sustainable. Stocks in QLD and VIC are undefined. The Commonwealth and NSW stocks are in review, and will be updated once complete.  

Silver Trevallies comprises a complex of species that inhabits estuarine and coastal waters (depths of 10–230 m) throughout southern temperate Australia, from southern Queensland, south through New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and southern and central Western Australia [Smith-Vaniz and Jelks 2006; Bearham et al. 2020].

The biological stock structure of Silver Trevallies is uncertain. Fisheries are based on a species complex that varies by region, with Pseudocaranx georgianus present in all jurisdictions except Queensland, Pseudocaranx wrighti present in all jurisdictions except Queensland and New South Wales, Pseudocaranx dinjerra only present in Western Australia, and Pseudocaranx sp. ‘dentex’ only present in Queensland [Smith-Vaniz and Jelks 2006; Gomon et al. 2008; Bearham et al. 2020]. Investigations of population connectivity and post-settlement movement are also limited. Despite a fast swimming ability, tag-recapture studies in Western Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand indicate restricted post-settlement movement of P. georgianus, potentially leading to ecological stock structuring over moderate (hundreds of kilometres) spatial scales [James 1980; Fairclough et al. 2011; Fowler et al. 2018].

Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the jurisdictional level—Commonwealth, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

South Australia

In South Australia, Silver Trevallies are taken by fishers in South Australia's commercial multi-species, multi-gear and multi-sectoral Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) and by recreational fishers [Smart et al. 2023]. Few commercial fishers actively target these species. Total annual commercial catch has been highly variable ranging from 4 t in 2003–04 to 22 t in 2000–01. Since 2009–10 total commercial catch has averaged 9 t per year and was 9 t in 2021–22. Commercial handline effort reduced by 39%, to 503 fisher-days in 2021–22, which breached the lower trigger reference point for the greatest inter-annual change [Smart et al. 2023]. As a result of the reduction in annual handline effort and consistent catches, handline CPUE for 2021–22 was the highest in 12 years.

The recreational catch is taken using rod and line and comprised 64% of the combined recreational and commercial State-wide catch in 2021–22 [Beckmann et al. 2023]. The State-wide recreational survey in 2021–22 estimated that 37,760 Silver Trevallies were captured by the recreational sector, of which 33,104 fish were harvested. The estimated total recreational harvest weight was 15 t [Beckmann et al. 2023]. In the Charter Boat Fishery, 5,418 Silver Trevallies were retained which comprised 7.2% of all species caught in 2020–21 [Durante et al. 2022].

There is no information available on the catch of Silver Trevallies by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in South Australian waters.

The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this stock is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. Furthermore, the above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired.

On the basis of the evidence presented above, Silver Trevallies in South Australia is classified as a sustainable stock.

Silver Trevallies biology [Rowling and Raines 2000]

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Silver Trevallies. 

Commonwealth – Commercial (Management Methods/Catch). Data provided for the Commonwealth align with the Commonwealth Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery for the 2021–22 financial year.

Commonwealth – Recreational. The Australian government does not manage recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters. Recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters, under its management regulations.  

Commonwealth – Indigenous. The Australian government does not manage non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters, with the exception of Torres Strait. In general, non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters.

Western Australia – Recreational (Management Methods). In Western Australia, a licence is required to recreationally fish from a powered vessel.

Western Australia – Recreational (Catch). Shore based catches are unknown, thus landings would be underestimated.

Queensland – Indigenous (Management Methods). for more information see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing

Queensland – Recreational Fishing (Catch). Data with high uncertainty (Residual Error >50 %) have been excluded and listed as unknown. More information is available at: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/monitoring-reporting/statewide-recreational-fishing-surveys

Queensland – Commercial (Catch). Queensland commercial and charter data have been sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information available through the Queensland Fisheries Summary Report https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/data/queensland-fisheries-summary-report

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch). Murphy et al. [2022].

New South Wales – Indigenous (Management Methods). (https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aboriginal-fishing

Victoria – Commercial (Catch). Silver trevally (Pseudocaranx georgianus) is not differentiated from other trevallies caught in Victorian commercial fisheries.

Victoria – Indigenous. A person who identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is exempt from the need to obtain a Victorian recreational fishing licence, provided they comply with all other rules that apply to recreational fishers, including rules on equipment, catch limits, size limits and restricted areas. Traditional (non-commercial) fishing activities that are carried out by members of a traditional owner group entity under an agreement pursuant to Victoria’s Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 are also exempt from the need to hold a recreational fishing licence, subject to any conditions outlined in the agreement. Native title holders are also exempt from the need to obtain a recreational fishing licence under the provisions of the Commonwealth’s Native Title Act 1993.

Tasmania - Indigenous (Management Methods). In Tasmania, Indigenous persons engaged in traditional fishing activities in marine waters are exempt from holding recreational fishing licences, but must comply with all other fisheries rules as if they were licensed. For details, see the policy document 'Recognition of Aboriginal Fishing Activities” (https://fishing.tas.gov.au/Documents/Policy%20for%20Aboriginal%20tags%20and%20alloting%20an%20UIC.pdf).

Commercial catch of Silver Trevallies - note confidential catch not shown

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