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Painted Sweetlips are found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific region, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and New Caledonia. There are six stocks in Australia of which two are considered sustainable, two are undefined and two are negligible.

Photo credit: NT Fisheries

Jurisdiction	Stock	Stock status	Indicators
Commonwealth	Commonwealth	Negligible
New South Wales	New South Wales	Negligible
Northern Territory	Northern Territory	Sustainable	Catch, fishing mortality, biomass
Queensland	East Coast	Undefined
Queensland	Gulf of Carpentaria Queensland	Undefined
Western Australia	Western Australia	Sustainable	Catch, indicator species status

The Painted Sweetlips Diagramma pictum is a member of the family Haemulidae broadly distributed throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific region, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and New Caledonia [Randall et al. 1997; Allen 2018]. Sweetlips exhibit high degrees of phenotypic plasticity and morphological variation, and the taxonomy of this group has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. Five geographically discrete subspecies of Painted Sweetlip were described by Johnson et al. [2001], however most subspecies have since been elevated to the status of species rank [Tavera et al. 2018; Damadi et al. 2023]. As of 2023, Painted Sweetlips comprise two recognised sub-species within Australian waters – D. p. pictum and D. p. labiosum [Damadi et al. 2023]. Reported catch of Painted Sweetlips likely also includes morphologically similar species (e.g., Plectorhinchus caeruleonothus). The stock structure of Painted Sweetlips in Australian waters is unknown.

Adults are found in shallow coastal waters and coral reefs to a depth of 80 m and juveniles often occur in weedy areas [Allen 2018]. In Australia, Painted Sweetlips are distributed from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia, throughout the Northern Territory and Queensland down to waters off Sydney in New South Wales. While there have been no studies on the biology of Painted Sweetlips in Australian waters, overseas studies indicate that they are relatively productive, maturing at less than three years of age, albeit in an overfished stock in the Arabian Gulf which has likely been subjected to fishing-induced reductions in length and age at maturity [Grandcourt et al. 2007; Grandcourt et al. 2011]. 

Here the assessment of stocks will be presented at the management level for Queensland East Coast and Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria, and the jurisdictional level for the Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Commonwealth

The Commonwealth stock is reported as Negligible due to historically low catches in this jurisdiction and the stock has generally not been subject to targeted fishing. Commonwealth commercial catch averaged <1 t per annum during 2017–18 to 2021–22 financial years and was <1 t in the 2021–22 financial year. Commonwealth fishing is unlikely to be having a negative impact on the stock.

East Coast

Most of the commercial harvest is taken as part of the Reef Line Fishery (RLF) within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, though a minimal amount (< 1 t on average since 1992–93) is also harvested from the East Coast Inshore Fishery (ECIF). Within the RLF Painted Sweetlip is retained as a by-product species. Commercial harvest in the RFL is managed through a multi species total allowable commercial catch (TACC) quota. Commercial catches within the RLF over the last four years have increased, approaching an average of 6 t per financial year (and a record high of 5.8 t in 2021–22). Similar catch trends were seen in the period from 2007–10, before catches dropped. There is some potential for greater targeting of species within the commercial fishery as quota is not species specific. In addition, species-specific harvest control rules and catch reference points were introduced through the RLF harvest strategy in early 2020 for by-product species (including Painted Sweetlip) [QDAF 2020a]. This harvest strategy provides additional control of fishing pressure and effort shift. These thresholds have not yet been met and the species remains a small portion of the total commercial RLF catch. The recreational and indigenous take is unknown. Charter catches are small with less than 1 t reported in 2021–22. Size limit of 25 cm is in place for all sectors and an individual possession limit of five fish applies for the recreational sector. There is insufficient information available to confidently assess this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Queensland East Coast management unit is classified as an undefined stock.

Gulf of Carpentaria Queensland

Painted Sweetlips are taken as by-product in the Gulf of Carpentaria Developmental Fin Fish Trawl Fishery (GOCDFFTF). During the period from 2007–12, harvest of Painted Sweetlips in the GOCDFFTF averaged approximately 27 t. There is no estimate of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for this species but harvest in some years has exceeded catches of some primary target species in the fishery (tropical snappers). From 2013–14 onwards catch within the GOCDFFTF has been low, following revised estimates of MSY for the entire fishery [Leigh and O’Neill 2016]. Fishing ceased entirely in 2016 and recommenced in 2020 after new permits were issued. The species is now managed as part of a multi species total allowable catch. Harvest in the period since October 2020 has been approximately 21t. Fishery independent surveys in 2021 provided updated estimates of relative biomass for the fishery [Knuckey et al. 2022] but uncertainty remains around stock structure and basic biology of the species. There is insufficient information available to confidently classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Gulf of Carpentaria Queensland management unit is classified as an undefined stock.

New South Wales

Stock status for the New South Wales stock is reported as Negligible due to historically low catches in this jurisdiction and the stock has generally not been subject to targeted fishing.  The New South Wales commercial catch during 2017–18 to 2021–22 averaged less than 3 t per year, and Sweetlips are not a major component of recreational landings.  Fishing is unlikely to be having a negative impact on the stock.

Northern Territory

Significant catches of Painted Sweetlips during the late 1980s are attributed to the Taiwanese trawl fleet that operated in Northern Australia from 1970, with a peak of 445 t in 1989. The fleet ceased operating in Australian waters in 1990, resulting in a dramatic decline in catches to near-zero levels. Domestic commercial catches for this species have progressively increased since this time, primarily within the Northern Territory Demersal Fishery, peaking at 212 t in 2017. Catches have since declined slightly, averaging 154 t over the last five years.

An assessment using catch data applied to a modified catch-MSY model (developed by Martell and Froese [2013] and modified by Haddon et al. [2018]) estimates biomass (B) to have declined below the target reference point (40% of B₀) in 1991 in response to significant catches by the Taiwanese trawl fleet. A rapid increase in B post 1991 is associated with substantial declines in catch following the removal of the Taiwanese trawl fleet. The current estimate of B is above the target reference point for this species. No biomass trajectories resulted an estimate of B below the target reference point (40% of B₀) in 2022, and estimated fishing mortality was 19%.

A fishery independent survey was undertaken in 2021 to estimate relative biomass of key offshore species in Northern Territory waters, including Painted Sweetlips. As a result of this work, the biomass of Painted Sweetlips in the Northern Territory was estimated to be 9,589 t, with a coefficient of variation of 0.14. The commercial harvest in this stock has averaged 154 t in the last 5 years, which represents a harvest fraction of around 2%. It is important to note that the survey was designed to obtain a time-series of consistent and robust relative abundance indices and due to uncertainties around assumptions of catchability, herding and escapement, this one-off estimate of absolute abundance should be used with caution [Knuckey and Koopman 2022]. Nonetheless, this estimate of biomass can assist in understanding the impact fishing has on this stock, with the low level of catch relative to biomass size indicating that the biomass of this stock is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. Furthermore, the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Painted Sweetlips in the Northern Territory is classified as a sustainable stock.

Western Australia

The majority of the commercial catch of Painted Sweetlips in WA is landed in the Pilbara Fish Trawl (Interim) Managed Fishery. They have also been landed in small quantities in the Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Managed Fishery, Northern Demersal Scalefish Managed Fishery, and West Coast Demersal Scalefish (Interim) Managed Fishery. Painted Sweetlips are assessed on the basis of the status of several indicator species (including, for example, Red Emperor, Rankin Cod, and Bluespotted Emperor in the Pilbara region, and Red Emperor and Goldband Snapper in the Kimberley region) across the North Coast Demersal Resource (NCDR) that represents the entire inshore demersal suite of species occurring at depths of 30–250 m [Newman et al. 2018]. The indicator species in the Pilbara and Kimberley have been classified as sustainable [Wakefield et al. 2023]. The level of risk associated with the sustainability of Painted Sweetlips in the NCDR is assessed as low. This assessment of Painted Sweetlips is also supported by the results of a data-limited Catch-MSY assessment, where recent catches are compared to model predictions for maximum sustainable yield (MSY).

The total catch of Painted Sweetlips across WA over the last 10 years (2013–22) has ranged from 65–120 t, with a mean annual catch of 94 t. This is consistent with averages catches across the previous 10 years of 86 t. Recreational and charter catches are relatively low compared to the commercial catch, in the past 10 years where reliable catches estimates are available, their contribution of the total catch has averaged approximately 5%. Analyses using a Catch-MSY model applied to data on annual catches for this species (1977–2022), indicated that annual catches have fluctuated around the median model estimate for MSY since 1992, with the exceptions being 1996, 2003–2004, and 2017–18 where catches were above the 95% CI of MSY. Catches were below the lower 95% CI from 2009–11. For all years the predicted values for biomass remained above the median prediction for BMSY, and fishing mortality remained below FMSY. However, it is important to recognise that Catch-MSY is a data-limited technique with strong assumptions, dependent on user inputs. For this assessment, these included specified ranges for initial depletion (0.8–0.975), based on a low level of fishing pressure prior to the start of the time series, final depletion (0.15–0.7), based on recent catches relative to maximum recorded annual catch and the non-targeted nature of commercial fishing for this species, and low resilience (r=0.1–0.6, assuming an age consistent with those for several other species within the same family). Given the relatively low levels of overall landings of Painted Sweetlips in Western Australia, recent catches of this species remaining within the predicted MSY range, and the status of the indicator species for the NCDR, it is unlikely that the biomass of this stock is depleted, and recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. Furthermore, the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Painted Sweetlips in WA is classified as a sustainable stock.

[Loubens 1980; Grandcourt et al. 2011] 

Species	Longevity / Maximum Size	Maturity (50 per cent)
Painted Sweetlips	31 years; 58 cm SL	Maturity (50 per cent) Males: 26.7 cm, 0.5 years; Females: 35.7 cm, 2.9 years

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Painted Sweetlip.

	Commonwealth	Western Australia	Northern Territory	Queensland	New South Wales
Commercial
Demersal Longline
Hand Line, Hand Reel or Powered Reels
Dropline
Otter Trawl
Fish Trap
Unspecified
Bottom Trawls
Line
Midwater Trawl
Hook and Line
Various
Charter
Spearfishing
Hook and Line
Handline
Recreational
Spearfishing
Hook and Line
Handline
Indigenous
Spearfishing
Hook and Line
Various

Method	Commonwealth	Western Australia	Northern Territory	Queensland	New South Wales
Charter
Area restrictions
Bag limits
Bag/possession limits
Gear restrictions
Limited entry
Passenger restrictions
Possession limit
Seasonal or spatial closures
Size limits
Spatial closures
Spatial zoning
Commercial
Effort limits
Gear restrictions
Harvest Strategy
Individual transferable quota
Limited entry
Seasonal closures
Seasonal or spatial closures
Size limits
Spatial closures
Spatial zoning
Total allowable catch
Total allowable effort
Vessel restrictions
Indigenous
Laws of general application
Recreational
Bag limits
Bag/possession limits
Gear restrictions
Licence (Recreational Fishing from Boat License)
License
Possession limit
Seasonal or spatial closures
Size limit
Spatial closures

	Commonwealth	Western Australia	Northern Territory	Queensland	New South Wales
Commercial	501.00kg	66.08t	134.70t	5.80t	630.14kg
Charter		<1 t	0.1	1.2
Indigenous		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Recreational		4.43 t	3.1	Unknown

Commonwealth – Commercial (Management Methods/Catch). Data provided for the Commonwealth are for the 2021–22 financial year.

Commonwealth – Recreational. The Australian Government does not manage recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters. Recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters, under its management regulations.

Commonwealth – Indigenous. The Australian Government does not manage non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters, with the exception of the Torres Strait. In general, non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters.

Northern Territory – Charter (Management Methods). In the Northern Territory, charter operators are regulated through the same management methods as the recreational sector but are subject to additional limits on license and passenger numbers.

Northern Territory - Indigenous (Management Methods). The Fisheries Act 1988 (NT), specifies that: “Unless expressly provided otherwise, nothing in this Act derogates or limits the right of Aboriginal people who have traditionally used the resources of an area of land or water in a traditional manner to continue to use those resources in that area in that manner.”

Queensland – Commercial (Catch). Queensland commercial and charter data have been sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information available through the Queensland Fisheries Summary Report https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/data/queensland-fisheries-summary-report.

Queensland – Recreational Fishing (Catch). Data based at the whole of Queensland level and derived from statewide recreational fishing surveys. Estimates have been converted to weight (tonnes) using best known conversion multipliers. Conversion factors may display regional or temporal variability.   

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

Queensland – Commercial (Management Methods). Harvest strategies are available at: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/harvest-strategy

Western Australia – Recreational (catch). Boat-based recreational catch between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 from Ryan et al. [2022]. Please note that catches of Barramundi are underestimates as shore-based and boat-based fishers that only operated in freshwater were out of scope of the survey.

Western Australia – Recreational (management methods). A Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence is required for the use of a powered boat to fish or to transport catch or fishing gear to or from a land-based fishing location.

Western Australia – Indigenous (management methods). Subject to application of 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.

Commercial catch of Painted Sweetlip - note confidential catch not shown.

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