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Bluethroat Wrasse are found on rocky reefs around south-eastern Australia. Catches in VIC, TAS and SA are considered to be sustainable. Catches in NSW are considered to be negligible.

Bluethroat Wrasse are found on rocky reefs around south-eastern Australia, including the waters of southern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia [Edgar 1997]. There is currently no information regarding the biological stock throughout this range. The species has a planktonic larval duration ranging from 44 to 66 days [Welsford 2003]. Once settled, Bluethroat Wrasse show a high degree of site fidelity [Edgar et al. 2004]. This suggests that, despite the potential for extensive dispersal of larvae by ocean currents, exploited populations in each jurisdiction could represent different stocks. Thus, conservatively, assessment of stock status is presented at the jurisdictional level—New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Victoria

Bluethroat Wrasse is the predominant species harvested by the Victorian Ocean Wrasse (OW) Fishery, primarily to supply the live fish market. This species was historically harvested commercially in Victorian waters under the general Victorian Ocean Fishery (OF) access licence, but in April 2017, a transferable Ocean Wrasse licence was created with 22 licences issued. Each licence can be operated throughout the State.  

Harvests of Bluethroat Wrasse increased rapidly to around 90 t per year when a market for wrasse was established in the early 1990s [Bell et al. 2023]. However, market preference for live fish saw many OF fishers cease to target them. By 2010 the State-wide harvest had declined to current levels of 10 to 30 t per year. In 2021–22 the harvest was around 19 t, down from the average annual harvest for the previous five years of 24.5 t. This was influenced by lower live fish trade due the COVID pandemic. Recreational harvest of Bluethroat Wrasse is unknown but thought to be low relative to the current and historic commercial harvest. There is some indication of growing interest in recreational targeting of this species in Victoria. 

A draft harvest strategy is in place for the Victorian wrasse fishery, which assesses the performance of standardised catch per unit effort in three management zones (west, central and east) against agreed performance measures. All three zones are currently performing similarly, fluctuating below the target, but above the trigger for management intervention. 

Overall, the pattern of variation and trends in catch rate would appear to indicate relative stability, rather than clear increases or decreases, of biomass. One caveat is that the relationship between catch rate and stock-wide biomass is unclear, as catch rate for this fishery may be prone to hyper-stability due to the highly resident behaviour of wrasse on reef areas and the potential for fishers to shift their effort among reef areas to maintain acceptable catch rates. This could potentially lead to serial depletion [Bell et al. 2023]. 

The major reduction in effort and catch since the late 1990s, and the recent stable catches and catch rates indicate that the biomass of this stock is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. Further, the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired. 

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Bluethroat Wrasse in Victoria is classified as a sustainable stock.

Bluethroat Wrasse biology [May and Maxwell 1986; Barrett 1995; Smith et al. 2003].

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Bluethroat Wrasse.

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 – 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 fishinglicence under the provisions of the Commonwealth’s Native Title Act 1993.

Tasmania – Commercial (Catch). Catches reported for the Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery are for the period 1 July to 30 June the following year. The most recent assessment available is for 2021-22.

Tasmania – Commercial (Catch). A trip limit of 30 kg for landed dead Wrasse is in place unless fishers hold a Wrasse licence.

Tasmania – Recreational (Management Methods). A recreational licence is required for fishers using dropline or longline gear, along with nets, such as gillnet or beach seine. A minimum size limit of 300 mm is in place for all Wrasse species in Tasmanian waters. A bag limit of five fish and a possession limit of ten fish (all Wrasse species) are also in place.

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).

Commercial catch of Bluethroat Wrasse - note confidential catch not shown.

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18. 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.