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Yellowtail Scad has an Australian distribution from southern QLD to northern WA. The eastern stock of Yellowtail Scad is found in QLD, NSW and Commonwealth waters and is classified as sustainable. Catches in the western stock are limited and the stock is undefined.

Yellowtail Scad have an Australian distribution from southern Queensland to northern Western Australia [Stewart and Ferrell 2001], and also occur off New Zealand [Horn 1993]. The biological stock structure of Yellowtail Scad remains unknown; but in New South Wales there is evidence of spatial differences in growth rates which might indicate subpopulations [Stewart and Ferrell 2001]. Similar population variability has been observed for Yellowtail Scad in New Zealand [Horn 1993].

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

Western Australia

The biology and demography of Yellowtail Scad in Western Australia have not been studied. The large majority of the WA catch is taken by the commercial purse-seine sector which targets other species. This sector's annual Yellowtail Scad catch has averaged around 11 t since 2000. These low catches appear due primarily to factors unrelated to stock abundance, such as economic return. The largest annual south coast catch on record, 104 t in 1999, which is at least four times greater than any other year, was associated with a sudden mass mortality of the primary target species, Australian Sardine. Catch and catch rates therefore do not adequately indicate stock status. There is insufficient information available to classify the status of the Western Australia biological stock, and so it is considered an undefined stock.

Yellowtail Scad biology [Stewart and Ferrell 2001, Broadhurst et al. 2018]

Western Australia – Recreational (management methods) A ‘recreational-fishing-from-boat license’ is required when using a powered boat to fish, or transport catch or fishing gear to or from a land-based fishing location. Shore based catches are largely unknown.

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

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

New South Wales – https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aboriginal-fishing.

Commercial catch of Yellowtail Scad - note confidential catch not shown

1. Broadhurst, MK 2020, Stock assessment summary report 2019 – Yellowtail Scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae). NSW Department of Primary Industries. Fisheries NSW, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute. 7 pp
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9. Neira, FJ, 2009, Provisional spawning biomass estimates of yellowtail scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) off south-eastern Australia. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Report, 32 pp
10. Neira, FJ, Perry, RA, Burridge, CP, Lyle, JM and Keane, JP 2015, Molecular discrimination of shelf-spawned eggs of two co-occurring Trachurus spp. (Carangidae) in southeastern Australia: a key step to future egg-based biomass estimates. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 72: 614–624.
11. QFish, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, www.qfish.gov.au
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