*

Southern Shortfin Eel occurs in coastal streams of eastern Australia, from southern QLD to the Murray River (SA). A distinct sub-species is also found in New Zealand and islands of the western Pacific. There is currently no cross-jurisdictional stock assessment for Southern Shortfin Eel in Australia, so this assessment is presented at the jurisdictional level. Southern Shortfin Eel is classified as undefined in QLD and NSW, and sustainable in VIC and TAS.

Photo: Museums Victoria

Southern Shortfin Eel is widespread in coastal streams of south-eastern Australia, from the Pine River in southern Queensland to the Murray River in South Australia, including Tasmania. The species also occurs in New Zealand and western Pacific Islands [Beaumer 1996; Allen et al. 2002]. Genetic studies indicate that Shortfin Eel represents two geographically separate subspecies; Anguilla australis australis in Australia and Anguilla australis schmidtii in New Zealand and western Pacific islands [Shen and Tzeng 2007; Arai 2016]. As there is currently no cross-jurisdictional stock assessment undertaken for the shared stock, assessment of stock status is presented here at the jurisdictional level—New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria.

Victoria

The Victorian Eel Fishery is comprised of both Longfin Eel and Southern Shortfin Eel, which have different but overlapping distributions in estuarine and freshwaters east and south of the Great Dividing Range. Commercial fishing is generally confined to lower and estuarine reaches of waters that are open to fishing and predominantly targets migrating eels. The main management strategy to ensure sustainability limits the number of waters where commercial fishing is allowed. A system of closed waters where commercial eel fishing is prohibited, allows for escapement of eels during their seaward spawning migration [https://vfa.vic.gov.au/commercial-fishing/commercial-fisheries/eels accessed on 26 Feb 2024].

The Victorian Southern Shortfin Eel Fishery is managed as one stock, and supports both recreational and commercial fisheries. The status of the Victorian Southern Shortfin Eel fishery has been evaluated using catch and nominal catch per unit effort (CPUE) for the commercial eel fishery [Bell et al. 2023]. 

Since 1979–80 annual catch has been highly variable. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s annual catch ranged from 131–310 t, but thereafter declined considerably to an historic low of 32 t in 2010–11.  This decline is attributed to the Millennium Drought (2000–2011), which ended following emergence of La Niña weather conditions. Since then, annual catch has continued to vary, averaging 58 t per year with a low of 36 t in 2016–17 and a high the following year of 84 t.

Annual CPUE during normal fyke net fishing operations (excluding large scale removals of many tonnes of stocked eels with seine nets ahead of impending drought) has ranged from 0.4 to 66 kg/net-day with an overall average of 18.7 kg/net-day since 1980.  Annual CPUE declined following the Millennium Drought and since 2011-12 has been low but relatively stable, ranging from 0.4 to 17.6 kg/net-day. 

Juvenile and undersized eels (elvers and “snigs”), known as “restock”, are netted from coastal rivers and relocated to designated culture lakes (confined lakes and impoundments) in inland western Victoria for on-growing to market size under an Aquaculture Licence. This practice, which commenced in the 1960s, is dependent on access to restock eels. Productivity from culture lakes is highly susceptible to short and long term and seasonal environmental variations, particularly drought [Victorian Fisheries Authority 2017]. Since 2003 restock Southern Shortfin Eels have represented on average 14% (2.8–48%) of the total annual catch. 

There is no long-term estimate of recreational harvest of Southern Shortfin Eel in Victoria, but it is believed to be very low. In recent surveys of recreational fishing licence holders, less than 0.4% of anglers fishing in rivers and lakes preferred to catch eels and just 2.6% indicated their favourite fish to catch was eel [Australian Survey Research 2012; Australian Survey Research Pty Ltd 2018].

Eel is an important resource for some Aboriginal communities. The use of fish traps, channels and aquaculture systems (ponds and dam walls) in western Victoria dates back tens of thousands of years [Head 1989; Richards 2011].  However, no quantitative estimates of the Aboriginal harvest of eels from Victorian waters are available.

The Victorian Southern Shortfin Eel Fishery is managed using a range of input controls and at least 30% of all connected rivers, creeks and streams with a common opening to the sea are closed to commercial fishing. The eel fishery is subject to strong environmental drivers that can severely reduce productivity. Nonetheless, 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 also indicates that the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired. 

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Southern Shortfin Eel in Victoria is classified as a sustainable stock.

[Beumer 1996; Allen et al. 2002; McKinnon et al. 2002; Crook et al. 2014].

New South Wales – Commercial (Catch). Data are provided in financial years.

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch). Estimates from Murphy et al. [2020,2022], based on a survey of Recreational Fishing Licence households. Note, estimates for eels are highly uncertain, with a relative standard error of greater than 30% and based on survey data from fewer than 20 households.

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

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

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 

Victoria – Indigenous (Management Methods). 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 - Recreational (Management Methods). In Tasmania, an angling licence is required to take eels. There is a 12 fish daily bag limit for eels with a minimum size of 300 mm and a possession limit of 24 eels at any one time [IFS 2018].
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).

1. Allen, GR, Midgley, SH and Allen, M 2002, Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth. 394 pp.
2. Arai, T 2016, Taxonomy and distribution. In: Biology and Ecology of Anguillid Eels (Arai, T. ed.), pp. 1-20. CRC Press, London.
3. Australian Survey Research 2012, Improving Inland Recreational Fishing Survey Report. DPI: Fisheries Victoria. Australian Survey Research Group Pty Ltd, Ormond, Victoria. 89 pp.
4. Australian Survey Research Group Pty Ltd, September 2018, Victorian Fisheries Authority Recreational Fishing Survey 2018
5. Bell, JD, Ingram, BA, Gorfine, HK and Conron SD 2023, Review of key Victorian fish stocks — 2022, Victorian Fisheries Authority Science Report Series No. 38, First Edition, June 2023. VFA: Queenscliff. 85pp
6. Beumer, JP 1996, Family Anguillidae freshwater eels. In: Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia (McDowall, R.M. ed.), pp. 39-43. Reed Pty Ltd., Chatswood.
7. Crook, DA, Macdonald, JI, Morrongiello, JR, Belcher, CA, Lovett, D, Walker, A and Nicol, SJ 2014, Environmental cues and extended estuarine residence in seaward migrating eels (Anguilla australis). Freshwater biology 59 (8): 1710-1720.
8. Hall, KC 2020, NSW Stock status summary 2018/19 - Southern Shortfin Eel (Anguilla australis). NSW Department of Primary Industries, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
9. Hall, KC 2023, NSW Stock status summary 2022/23 - Southern Shortfin Eel (Anguilla australis). NSW Department of Primary Industries, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
10. Head, L 1989, Prehistoric Aboriginal impacts on Australian vegetation: an assessment of the evidence. Australian Geographer 20(1): 37-46.
11. Inland Fisheries Service 2018, Tasmanian Inland Recreational Fishery Management Plan 2018–28
12. McKinnon, L, Gasior, R, Collins, A, Pease, B and Ruwald, F 2002, Assessment of eastern Australian Anguilla australis and A. reinardtii glass eel stocks. In: Assessment of eastern Australian Glass Eel Stocks and Associated Eel Aquaculture. Final Report FRDC Project No. 97/312 (and No. 99/333) (Gooley, G.J. and Ingram, B.A. eds.), pp. 13-82. Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Alexandra, Australia.
13. Murphy, JJ, Ochwada-Doyle, FA, West, LD, Stark, KE and Hughes, JM 2020, The NSW Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Program - survey of recreational fishing, 2017/18. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 158. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia
14. Murphy, JJ, Ochwada-Doyle, FA, West, LD, Stark, KE, Hughes, JM and Taylor, MD 2020, Survey of recreational fishing in NSW, 2019/20 – Key Results. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 161. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia
15. Purser, J, Cooper, P, Diggle, J and Ibbott, T 2014, Tasmanian Eel Industry Development and Management Plan, FRDC Project No 2012/208
16. Richards, T 2011, A late nineteenth-century map of an Australian Aboriginal fishery at Lake Condah. Australian Aboriginal Studies 2:64-87.
17. Schnierer, S and Egan, H 2016, Composition of the Aboriginal harvest of fisheries resources in coastal New South Wales, Australia. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 26:693-709.
18. Shen, KN and Tzeng, WN 2007, Genetic differentiation among populations of the shortfinned eel Anguilla australis from East Australia and New Zealand. Journal of Fish Biology 70 (Suppl B): 177-190.
19. Victorian Fisheries Authority 2017, Review of key Victorian fish stocks — 2017 Victorian Fisheries Authority Science Report Series No. 1.