*

Mulloway is a widely distributed species in Australian waters. Stock status is sustainable in WA and SA, recovering in NSW and undefined in QLD.

Mulloway has a wide distribution in Australia, from the Gascoyne region on the west coast of Western Australia, around the southern coasts of the continent, and up to the Wide Bay–Burnett region on the east coast of Queensland [Kailola et al. 1993]. 

Biological stock structure for Mulloway in Australia is uncertain. It has been suggested that a single panmictic population occurs in Australia [Archangi 2008]. However, regional differences in genetics, and otolith morphology and chemistry suggest sub-structuring between populations in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia [Ferguson et al. 2011; Barnes et al. 2015; Hughes et al. 2022].

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

Queensland

While Mulloway are predominantly taken by recreational anglers in Queensland, no reliable harvest estimates have been possible from data collected in recreational angling surveys [Teixeira et al. 2021]. Mulloway are a minor component of the commercial East Coast Inshore Fishery (ECIF), with around 7.5 t taken by net and line fishing in this fishery between 2021–22, and a ten-year annual average catch of 8.5 t. The legal minimum length for Mulloway in Queensland was raised from 450 to 750 mm total length (TL) in 2009, along with a possession limit reduction from ten to two. This change in legal length likely reduced fishing-related mortality, especially for juveniles. There is no published stock assessment of this species in Queensland, and there are no data available to estimate biomass or exploitation rates. In addition, the recruitment potential of wild populations and harvestable biomass remain unresolved. This prevents assessment of current stock size or fishing pressure. Consequently, there is insufficient information available to confidently classify the status of this stock. 

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Mulloway in Queensland is classified as an undefined stock.

Mulloway biology [Farmer 2008; Silberschneider and Gray 2008; Ferguson et al. 2014]

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

Western Australia – Indigenous (Management Methods). Subject to the defence that applies under Section 211 of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), and the exemption from a requirement to hold a recreational fishing licence, the non-commercial take by Indigenous fishers is covered by the same arrangements as that for recreational 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 QueenslandFisheries Summary Report https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/data/queensland-fisheries-summary-report. 

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

New South Wales – Commercial (Management Methods). Fishers using haul nets in the New South Wales commercial Ocean Hauling Fishery are permitted a bycatch allowance of 500 kg of Mulloway per day.

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch). Murphy et al. [2020], includes charter catch. 

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

Commercial catch of Mulloway - note confidential catch not shown

1. Archangi, B 2008, Levels and patterns of genetic diversity in wild and cultured populations of mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) using mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites, PhD thesis, School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of Technology.
2. Barnes, TC, Junge, C, Myers, SA, Taylor, MD, Rogers, PJ, Ferguson, GJ, Lieschke, JA, Donnellan, SC and Gillanders, BM 2015, Population structure in a wide-ranging coastal teleost (Argyrosomus japonicus, Sciaenidae) reflects marine biogeography across southern Australia, Marine and Freshwater Research, 67: 1103–1113.
3. Beckmann, CL, Durante, LM, Graba-Landry, A, Stark, KE and Tracey, SR 2023, Survey of Recreational Fishing in South Australia 2021-22. Report to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic and Livestock Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2022/000385-1. SARDI Research Report Series No. 1161. 185pp.
4. Earl, J 2020, Assessment of the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery in 2018/19. Report to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2020/000208-01, SARDI Research Report Series No. 1059. 81pp.
5. Earl, J 2023, Assessment of the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery in 2021/22. Report to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), Adelaide. SARDI Publication No. F2020/000208-04. SARDI Research Report Series No. 1176. 94pp.
6. Farmer, BM 2008, Comparisons of the biological and genetic characteristics of the mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus (Sciaenidae) in different regions of Western Australia, PhD thesis, Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research, Murdoch University, Perth.
7. Ferguson, GJ, Ward, TM and Gillanders, BM 2011, Otolith shape and elemental composition: complimentary tools for stock discrimination of mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) in southern Australia, Fisheries Research, 110: 75–83.
8. Ferguson, GJ, Ward, TM, Ivey, A and Barnes, T 2014, Life history of Argyrosomus japonicus, a large sciaenid at the southern part of its global distribution: implications for fisheries management, Fisheries Research, 151: 148–157.
9. Froese, R, Winker, H, Coro, G, Palomares, MLD, Tsikliras, AC, Dimarchopoulou, D, Touloumis, K, Demirel, N, Scarcella, G, de Souza Vianna, GM, Liang, C and Pauly, D 2021, Catch time series as the basis for fish stock assessments: the CMSY++ method. Frontiers in Marine Science
10. Goodyear, CP 1993, Spawning stock biomass per recruit in fisheries management: foundation and current use, in SJ Smith, JJ Hunt and D Rivard (ed.s), Risk evaluation and biological reference points for fisheries management, Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 120, NRC Research Press, pp 67–81.
11. Henry, GW and Lyle, JM 2003, The national recreational and Indigenous fishing survey, final report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Fisheries Action Program Project FRDC, project 1999/158, New South Wales Fisheries final report series 48, NSW Fisheries, Cronulla.
12. Hughes, JM 2020, Status of Australian Fish Stocks 2020 – NSW Stock status summary – Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus).
13. Hughes, JM 2023, Status of Australian Fish Stocks 2023—NSW Stock Status Summary – Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus).
14. Hughes, JM, Meadows, NM, Stewart, J, Booth, DJ and Fowler, AM 2022, Movement patterns of an iconic recreational fish species, mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus), revealed by cooperative citizen-science tagging programs in coastal eastern Australia. Fisheries Research, 247, 106179.
15. Kailola, P, Williams, MJ, Stewart, PC, Reichelt, RE, McNee, A and Grieve, C 1993, Australian fisheries resources, Bureau of Resource Sciences and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra. 
16. Mace, PM and Sissenwine, MP 1993, How much spawning per recruit is enough?, in SJ Smith, JJ Hunt and D Rivard (ed.s), Risk evaluation and biological reference points for fisheries management, Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 120, NRC Research Press, pp 101–118.
17. Methot, RD and Wetzel, CR 2013, Stock synthesis: A biological and statistical framework for fish stock assessment and fishery management. Fisheries Research 142: 86-99.
18. Murphy, JJ, Ochwada-Doyle, FA, Hughes JM, West, LD and Stark, KE 2020, The Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Program. Survey of recreational fishing in 2017–18, Fisheries final report series 158, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongong.
19. Murphy, JJ, Ochwada-Doyle, FA, West, LD, Stark, KE, Hughes, JM and Taylor, MD 2022, Survey of recreational fishing in NSW, 2019/20. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Nelson Bay, Fisheries Final Report Series No. 161. 80p.
20. Newman, SJ, Wise, BS, Santoro, KG and Gaughan, DJ (eds) 2023, Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia 2021/22: The State of the Fisheries. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.
21. Ryan, KL, Lai, EKM and Smallwood, CB 2022, Boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2020/21. Fisheries Research Report No. 327, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.
22. Silberschneider, V and Gray CA 2005, Arresting the decline of the commercial and recreational fisheries for Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus), Fisheries Research and Development Corporation project 2001/027, final report series 82, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla.
23. Silberschneider, V and Gray, CA 2008, Synopsis of biological, fisheries and aquaculture-related information on mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus (Pisces: Sciaenidae), with particular reference to Australia, Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 24(1): 7–17.
24. Silberschneider, V, Gray, CA and Stewart, J 2009, Age, growth, maturity and the overfishing of the iconic sciaenid, Argyrosomus japonicus, in south-eastern Australia, Fisheries Research, 95(2–3): 220–229.
25. Stewart, J, Hughes, JM, Stanley, C and Fowler, AM 2020, The influence of rainfall on recruitment success and commercial catch for the large sciaenid, Argyrosomus japonicus, in eastern Australia. Marine Environmental Research, 157, 104924.
26. Teixeira, D, Janes, R, and Webley, J 2021, 2019–20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey Key Results. Project Report. State of Queensland, Brisbane.
27. West, LD, Stark, KE, Murphy, JJ, Lyle, JM and Ochwada-Doyle, FA 2015, Survey of recreational fishing in New South Wales and the ACT, 2013–14, Fisheries final report series 149, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongong.