*

Black Bream is a primarily estuarine species found around Australia's southern coastline. Assessments are presented here for nine management units, distributed along the coasts of NSW, VIC, TAS, SA and WA. Of these units, three are classified as sustainable, one as recovering, one as depleted, and four as undefined.

Black Bream have a wide distribution in the estuaries of southern Australia from central New South Wales to the central Western Australian coast, including Tasmania [Kailola et al. 1993]. Black Bream are estuarine-dependent, completing much of their life cycle within a single estuary [Chaplin et al. 1997; Conron et al. 2016; Earl et al. 2016]. Genetic studies of Black Bream in Victoria and Western Australia have indicated that, while there has been gene flow between adjacent estuaries, there is evidence of isolation by distance between populations [Chaplin et al. 1997; Farrington et al. 2000; Burridge et al. 2004; Burridge and Versace 2007; Sarakinis et al. 2024]. Results of tagging studies conducted in the Swan River [Norriss et al. 2002], Gippsland Lakes [Butcher and Ling 1962; Hindell et al. 2008] and the Coorong estuary [Hall 1984] found limited or no evidence of coastal migration or emigration between estuaries. This indicates that estuarine Black Bream populations should be managed as distinct biological stocks. However, for most fisheries management agencies this is not practical.

Black Bream and the closely related Yellowfin Bream, Acanthopagrus australis, also exhibit considerable levels of hybridisation where their distributions overlap in south-eastern Australia [Farrington et al. 2000; Roberts et al. 2009, 2010, 2011; Ochwada-Doyle et al. 2012], further complicating status determination. Furthermore, Black Bream growth, size- and age-at-maturity and recruitment are strongly influenced by environmental conditions, particularly freshwater influx into estuaries [Norriss et al. 2002; Cottingham 2008]. It is therefore likely that over local scales at least, annual recruitment strength depends on environmental conditions, with substantial inter-annual variation in recruitment affecting individual stock demographics and biomasses. These environmental drivers complicate management across multiple catchments.

Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the management unit level—Western Australia West Coast Estuaries, Western Australia South Coast Estuaries (Western Australia); Southern New South Wales (New South Wales); Victoria Western Estuaries, The Gippsland Lakes, Victoria Eastern Estuaries (Victoria); Tasmania Scalefish Fishery (Tasmania); Lakes and Coorong Fishery and South Australia Marine Scalefish Fishery (South Australia).

The Gippsland Lakes

The Gippsland Lakes are a series of temperate coastal lagoons almost 70 km long in eastern Victoria that are connected to the sea by a single permanent, narrow entrance at Lakes Entrance. Three main rivers, the Mitchell, Nicholson, and Tambo, discharge into this system.

Management measures have been implemented through the Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan, including the buy-out of all commercial netting licences in April 2020 and the introduction of a Black Bream slot limit of 28–38 cm on 1 April 2021. The minimum size limit of 28 cm remained unchanged and was enhanced by a new maximum size limit of 38 cm to provide added protection for larger bream. Large Black Bream are more prolific breeders, producing more eggs and thereby potentially contributing more stock to future generations [Norriss et al. 2002]. The selection of the slot limit is guided by science with modelling adapted from methods developed to estimate the impacts of a particular bag and/or size limit using previously sampled fishery catch data [Hamer et al. 2019]. In this case, the modelling indicating that 12% more breeding biomass would have remained in the population with the Black Bream slot limit in place [VFA 2020]. Recently, additional measures to protect the species and improve its sustainability over the next few years have been implemented. Notably, the daily bag limit for Black Bream in the Gippsland Lakes and tributaries was lowered from 10 to 7 in September 2023 [VFA 2023].

The removal of the commercial fishery has resulted in CPUE (standardised and nominal) for commercial mesh net no longer being suitable as a primary performance measure for Black Bream stock status in the Gippsland Lakes. Commercial fishing has now ceased in the Gippsland Lakes. Historical commercial harvests decreased considerably since the 1980s, and more recently declined substantially in response to reduced netting effort due to commercial licence attrition since 2010 up until the fishery ceased in March 2020. The estimated fishing mortality rate imposed on the stock during 2015–19 was in the order of 0.2 (95% CLs = 0.1–0.3) which is not relatively high within the bounds of a species with the life history characteristics of Black Bream [VFA et al. 2021]. Removal of the commercial fishery is likely to result in a reduction in the fishing mortality rate. There is no recent information on recreational harvest or effort.

Standardised CPUE from the creel surveys, spanning a period of 43 years, has remained low (compared to historical levels) since the early 2000s, with the lowest point during the reference period occurring in 2003–2005. Since then, recreational CPUE has mostly increased over the last decade and in the recent few years remained just below the reference-period average [Bell et al. 2023]. Diary-angler targeted CPUE, which includes catches of fish above and below the LML, shows peaks in 2006 and 2012–13, similar to the timing of peaks in the mesh net and creel survey CPUE. Like mesh-net and creel-survey CPUE, diary-angler CPUE declined from 2013 to 2016, and has more recently increased to 2022 to be well above the reference-period average, consistent with a recovering stock. Standardised CPUE from mesh nets has declined continually from 2011, and during 2017–18 through until 2019–20 when fishing ceased in the Gippsland Lakes, it was below the lowest point recorded during the reference period (Bell et al. 2023).

Length composition data from creel surveys has been generally stable, but with signs of an increase in the median size of fish harvested in 2022. Increased proportions of smaller fish were observed among diary-angler catches during 2012–22, indicative of recently increased recruitment rates, further evidenced by more sub-legal fish in recent years. Angler-diary size-composition data also confirm that the slot limit has provided greater protection to fish above 38 cm which appear to be increasing in relative abundance [Bell et al. 2023]. 

Recruitment is highly influenced by freshwater flow conditions [Williams et al. 2012]. Recruitment of 0+ age Black Bream has been relatively stronger (c.f. 2010–16) from 2017 to 2020, and although lower in 2021, in 2022 it was the highest since monitoring commenced [Bell et al. 2023]. These recent cohorts will grow to legal size over the next 5–6 years. However, because of the short duration of the recruitment time series it remains unclear how the recruitment index relates to replenishment of adult biomass, or how this relates to historic recruitment rates.

The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality has reduced commensurately with the cessation of the commercial fishery and the introduction of further recreational size limit restrictions. The current level fishing mortality should allow the stock to recover. Increased creel-survey CPUE from the lowest point recorded in 2004 to just below the reference-point average in recent years, with an increase well above the reference-period average in angler-diary CPUE over the last 5 years until 2022, coupled with relatively stronger recruitment of 0+ age black bream during 2017–22 (c.f. 2010–16) support this contention.

The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this stock is likely to be depleted, however recruitment is unlikely to be impaired, and for the period 2017–22 these indicators suggest a recovering stock.

The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality should allow the stock to recover from its depleted state.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Gippsland Lakes management unit is classified as a recovering stock.average in angler-diary CPUE over the last 5 years until 2022, coupled with relatively stronger recruitment of 0+ age black bream during 2017–2022 (c.f. 2010–2016) support this contention.

The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this stock is likely to be depleted, however recruitment is unlikely to be impaired, and for the period 2017–2022 these indicators suggest a recovering stock.

The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality should allow the stock to recover from its depleted state.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Gippsland Lakes management unit is classified as a recovering stock.

Victoria Eastern Estuaries

The status of stock biomass and impact of fishing pressure was evaluated using CPUE and size-composition data from fishers participating in an angler-diary program. There is now no commercial fishery for Black Bream in Lake Tyers and Mallacoota Inlet with commercial fishing being removed from these estuaries in 2003 [Conron et al. 2010].

Changes in the levels of fishing pressure on Black Bream stocks following the removal of commercial fishing were investigated using data collected by volunteer angler diarists targeting Black Bream in Mallacoota Inlet and Lake Tyers [Conron et al. 2010]. Total mortality rate estimates of legal‐sized Black Bream, from age‐based cohort analysis of catch data, indicated that the annual mortality declined from 57% to 31–36% following the removal of commercial fishing from Mallacoota Inlet. Data collected in Lake Tyers after the removal of commercial fishing indicated an annual mortality rate of 24%.

There is no recent information about the amount of fishing pressure on the Black Bream populations in Lake Tyers and Mallacoota Inlet and natural mortality has not been estimated. Size composition data show that larger fish (greater than 35 cm total length (TL)) are consistently recorded in catches [Bell et al. 2023] suggesting fishing mortality is still likely to be relatively low. Black Bream below the minimum legal size (28 cm) are also regularly caught in both locations, suggesting recent spawning success. Diary-angler targeted CPUE has declined to below its average in recent years [Bell et al. 2023]. Reduced participation in the angler-diary program has increased the uncertainty regarding recent diary-angler CPUE (i.e. recent declines in CPUE, but there is uncertainty about whether these reflect declines in biomass or unreliability of angler-diarist data). Overall, there is insufficient information available to confidently classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Victoria Eastern Estuaries management unit is classified as an undefined stock.

Victoria Western Estuaries

Black Bream predominantly occur in the estuarine reaches of rivers in western Victoria and Port Phillip Bay. The main indicators used for assessment of the Victoria Western Estuaries management unit are CPUE of harvests by the recreational and commercial sectors. Information on recruitment and fishing pressure is also obtained from size-composition data measured by anglers participating in an ongoing angler fishing-diary program [Conron and Oliveiro 2016], but these data do not provide estimates of total recreational catch.

There is no direct information on the amount of fishing pressure on the Black Bream population in the Glenelg River. Size-composition data shows that larger fish (greater than 35 cm) are consistently recorded in the catches [Bell et al. 2023].  suggesting fishing mortality is likely to be relatively low. There have been also consistent catches of undersize fish suggesting recent spawning success with the exception of 2018. The lack of undersize fish recorded by angler diarists in 2018 is unexpected given their prevalence in previous years and this may be due to changes in locations fished. Diary-angler targeted CPUE (number of fish per angler hour) in 2018 was just below its long-term average (1997–2015) and mostly well above its minimum during other years [Bell et al. 2023].

Similarly, in the Hopkins River there is also no direct information about the amount of fishing pressure on the Black Bream population. Size-composition data shows that larger fish (greater than35 cm TL) are consistently recorded in catches [Bell et al. 2023]. suggesting fishing mortality is likely to be relatively low. Reduced participation in the angler diary program has increased the uncertainty of recent angler-diarist catch data. Overall, there is insufficient information available to confidently classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Victoria Western Estuaries management unit is classified as a undefined stock.

Black Bream biology [Kuiter 1993; Sarre and Potter 2000; Walker and Neira 2001; Cheshire et al. 2013]

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Black Bream

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 - Recreational fishing (Management Methods). Recreational fishing licence requirement, and  minimum legal size, maximum legal size  and a bag limits  apply. For further details see  https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/recreational-fishing-guide/catch-limits-and-closed-seasons/types-of-fish/marine-and-estuarine-scale-fish/bream-all-species

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, a recreational licence is required for fishers using dropline or longline gear, along with nets, such as gillnet or beach seine. The species is subject to a minimum size limit of 250 mm. A bag limit of five individuals and a possession limit of ten individuals is in place for recreational fishers fishing in marine waters.

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).

Western Australia – Recreational (Management Methods). In Western Australia a recreational fishing licence is only required for fishing from a boat. Black Bream are subjected to a minimum size limit of 250 mm TL and a bag limit of six (of which only two fish may be over 400 mm TL if fishing in the Swan and Canning rivers).

Commercial catch of Black Bream - note confidential catch not shown

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