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An inshore and estuarine species, Tailor has biologically independent stocks on the east and west coasts of Australia. Both stocks are sustainable. The western stock is found only in WA. The eastern stock is found in QLD, NSW and VIC.

Tailor are a wide ranging species with several separate stocks found in temperate and sub-tropical waters around the world. Genetic evidence indicates that there are two biological stocks of Tailor in Australia, one along the east coast and a second along the west coast [Nurthen et al. 1992]. The Eastern Australian biological stock is distributed from Bundaberg in southern Queensland along the entire New South Wales coast and into eastern Bass Strait in Victoria [Brodie et al. 2018, Miskiewicz et al. 1996]. The Western Australian biological stock is distributed along the western coastline of Australia from Exmouth to Esperance [Lenanton et al. 1996, Smith et al. 2013]. Within each stock, multiple spawning groups may exist that spawn at different times and locations [Miskiewicz et al. 1996, Young et al. 1999, Ward 2003, Schilling et al. 2020]. However, several characteristics, such as the dispersal of pelagic eggs and larvae with prevailing currents, the movement of juveniles into sheltered nearshore or estuarine habitats in northern and southern areas of the species range, and the seasonal migration behaviour of adults, suggest that a genetically homogenous population occurs on each coast [Bade 1977, Brodie et al. 2018, Juanes et al. 1996, Lenanton et al. 1996, Miskiewicz et al. 1996, Ward et al. 2003, Young et al. 1999].

Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the biological stock level—Western Australia and Eastern Australia.

Eastern Australia

Tailor has a long history as a key fishery species for Indigenous, commercial and recreational fishers on the east coast. The status presented here for the entire biological stock has been established using evidence from the three jurisdictions which access this stock—Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The Eastern Australian biological stock of Tailor has been targeted by commercial fisheries in Queensland and New South Wales and to a lesser extent in Victoria from the early-mid 1900s [Bade 1977, Leigh et al. 2017]. By the 1970s the stock was predominantly targeted by recreational fisheries in Queensland and New South Wales. Tailor is a culturally significant species for Indigenous groups along the eastern seaboard, however harvest levels are unknown [Schnierer 2011].

The total harvest of Tailor from Queensland and New South Wales peaked in the mid-1990s, followed by a sharp decline due in part to changes in market demand, participation rates and management measures [Leigh et al. 2017]. The most recent stock assessment (data inclusive of 2019 for New South Wales and Queensland Fisheries where the majority of the catch is taken) indicates the spawning biomass has fluctuated, but with no overall trend, since the 1990s and was approximately 51 per cent of unfished levels in 2019 [Lovett et al 2020]. Annual fishery-dependent monitoring of the Queensland harvest shows relatively consistent length structures up to 2019 and indicates a range of ages, including older fish (4–7 year olds), are consistently present in the harvest [Lovett et al. 2020]. The length composition in New South Wales commercial landings have remained consistent, typically ranging between 300–450 mm fork length [Stewart et al. 2015, Schilling 2019]. These are positive indicators of a stable population with continuing recruitment.

The status of Tailor stocks in Victoria was evaluated in 2019 using nominal CPUE for commercial mesh-net fisheries in the Gippsland Lakes (GL) [Conron et al. 2020]. Tailor are also infrequently captured by fishers in Corner Inlet (CI) and by purse seine fishers offshore, however there were insufficient data available from these fisheries to inform temporal abundance trends. The GL commercial fishery was closed from the beginning of April 2020 following a buy-out of all commercial licences, implemented to improve recreational fishing access by hook and line methods. A small recreational fishery persists in GL, but with insufficient data for assessment. Recreational fishers are catch Tailor incidentally from Port Phillip Bay [Fishing Victoria Forum 2017], Lake Tyers [Day 2017, and Ninety-mile Beach [Wiki Fishing Spots 2020]. State-wide commercial tailor harvests have been variable from <20 t to nearly 100 t representing changes in targeting, retention rates and availability of this highly mobile species [Conron et al. 2020]. Landings in the last ten years have also been variable but well within the bounds of historical peaks observed during the 1980s to 2000s [Conron et al. 2020]. Nominal CPUE of tailor from the Gippsland Lakes mesh net fishery has been variable, again likely as a result of variation in targeting, retention rates and availability [Conron et al. 2020]. Although there appears to be an overall slow decline in CPUE the very high spikes in 1998 and 2003  with large associated variance contrast markedly with greater stability in the last decade where in most years values have been close to the average and variance in the data has been noticeably small [Conron et al. 2020]. The is no evidence that recruitment to the stock has ever been impaired and the available evidence suggests the fishery has been sustainable and will remain so under current and future conditions [Conron et al. 2020]. The catch rates for this species are variable between years but show no evidence of a sustained decline. However, as the majority of catch is taken in NSW and Queensland, catch from Victoria is unlikely to influence the biomass of the biological stock.

The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this stock is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired.

Estimates of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for the combined Queensland and New South Wales harvest from the most recent stock assessment vary from 469 t to 857 t depending on the predicted recruitment levels [Lovett et al. 2020]. The current combined harvest (204 t) is about half of the predicted MSY using the more conservative low recruitment scenario, and the estimate of fishing pressure is safely below the limit reference point (F₂₀) and F_MSY [Lovett et al. 2020].

The recreational and commercial fisheries in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have been subject to numerous management measures that have reduced fishing pressure, as indicated in the trends shown in harvest and effort for both recreational and commercial fisheries [Litherland et al. 2018, Stewart et al. 2015, Webley et al. 2015, West et al. 2015, Teixeira et al. 2021]. Fishing pressure is considered adequately controlled in commercial fisheries. In New South Wales this is through restrictive daily trip limits of 100 kg per day (ocean haul nets) or 50 kg per day (other netting methods). In Queensland, gill, seine and haul nets methods used by commercial fishers in nearshore and estuarine waters are deployed in a targeted manner and result in minimal bycatch relative to the harvest of the target species [Halliday et al. 2001]. Mesh size regulations help ensure that target species caught by these methods are within an appropriate size range. Fishers using tunnel nets in Moreton Bay in Queensland operate under the Industry Code of Best Practice to minimise their impacts [MBSIA 2012]. The recreational harvest is constrained through various size and bag limits as well as seasonal closures. The rates of survival for released line-caught Tailor are considered high [Ayvazian et al. 2002, Broadhurst et al. 2012].

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 provided above, the Eastern Australia biological stock is classified as a sustainable stock.

Western Australia

The current assessment of tailor is based on estimates of biomass and fishing mortality from a data-limited Catch-MSY assessment model, compared periodically to reference levels relating to estimates of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). The estimated biomass expected to achieve MSY (B_MSY) is considered as the Threshold reference level for the stock, and 50 per cent B_MSY is set as the limit reference level. The target level is considered as any stock levels above B_MSY.

Annual catches of tailor taken in WA since 1976 increased from the start of the time series to around 70 t in 2000. After this, there was a continued decline in catch to the current levels around 10 to 20 t. The estimated fishing mortality experienced by the stock in 2019 was 0.04 year^-1, with 95 per cent CLs ranging from 0.03 to 0.13 year^-1. As the current value of this performance indicator is below the level of F_MSY (0.12 year^-1), the stock is unlikely to deplete to a level at which recruitment could be impaired if the current catch level is maintained.

The point estimate for relative stock biomass in 2019 was low at 0.52 of the unfished level (95 per cent CLs = 0.22–0.69). As the current value of this performance indicator is above the threshold, the stock is considered not to be depleted to a level at which recruitment could be impaired.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Western Australia biological stock is classified as a sustainable stock.

Tailor biology [Bade 1977, Juanes et al. 1996, Schilling et al. 2019, Smith et al. 2013, Young et al. 1999]

Western Australia – Recreational (Catch) Current shore-based recreational catch and effort in Western Australia is unknown. Boat-based recreational catch estimated in 2015–16 [Ryan et al. 2017]

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

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.

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch) Murphy et al. [2020].

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

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