Yelloweye Mullet Aldrichetta forsteri

Western Australia 

In Western Australia, commercial targeting of Yelloweye Mullet is mainly restricted to estuaries and embayments south of Perth. During the period 2003 to 2013, 78 per cent of the total catch in Western Australia was taken by the West Coast Estuarine Interim Managed Fishery in the Peel–Harvey Estuary, 12 per cent by the South Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery in several south coast estuaries, and 5 per cent by the South-west Beach Seine Fishery in Geographe Bay. The remainder was taken as minor catches in other fisheries.

Annual catches in each of the three main commercial fisheries have followed a similar trend. Catches peaked around 1980 and then gradually declined over the following two decades. A sharp drop in catch level occurred in each fishery around 2000. Subsequent catches have continued to decline gradually. The long-term decline in catch likely reflects reductions in fishing effort (due to licence buy-backs, for example) and reductions in targeted effort due to market demand. However, the catch decline is also believed to reflect a decline in stock abundance. Anecdotal reports from commercial and recreational fishers suggest that Yelloweye Mullet abundance in south-west Western Australia is low compared with historical levels. However, insufficient information is available to confidently classify the status of Yelloweye Mullet in this jurisdiction.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Yelloweye Mullet in Western Australia is classified as an undefined stock.  

Lakes and Coorong Fishery (South Australia) management unit 

The Lakes and Coorong Fishery (South Australia) management unit has traditionally been the most important of the South Australian fisheries for Yelloweye Mullet, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the state’s total catch of this species since 2000. The most recent stock assessment for Yelloweye Mullet in this management unit considered that the stock was sustainable⁶. The 2013 catch of Yelloweye Mullet by the Lakes and Coorong Fishery of 227 tonnes (t) was 34 per cent higher than the average annual catch since 2000 (169 t). Over the past decade, annual catch rates for Yelloweye Mullet using small-mesh gillnets (the dominant gear used to target Yelloweye Mullet) have been among the highest recorded for the fishery. Age-structure analysis undertaken in 2012 revealed that numerous strong year-classes were present in the population and that there had been regular recruitment of young fish to the population over recent years⁶. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of Yelloweye Mullet exploited by the Lakes and Coorong Fishery (South Australia) management unit is unlikely to be recruitment overfished. Furthermore, the current level of fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment overfished.

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

Marine Scalefish Fishery (South Australia) management unit 

The Marine Scalefish Fishery (South Australia) management unit has traditionally provided much lower catches than the Lakes and Coorong Fishery (South Australia). Since 2000, annual catches have progressively declined as a result of a decline in targeted fishing effort. Targeted effort of 78 days in 2012–13 was the lowest ever recorded in the fishery⁶. The long-term decline in targeted fishing effort likely relates to the relatively low value of Yelloweye Mullet on the local domestic market, rather than a declining biomass, because catch rates over recent years have been among the highest ever recorded in the fishery. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of Yelloweye Mullet exploited by the Marine Scalefish Fishery (South Australia) management unit is unlikely to be recruitment overfished. Furthermore, the current level of fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment overfished.

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

Victoria 

In Victoria, a total of 50 t of Yelloweye Mullet was caught in 2013 by commercial fishers operating in the Port Phillip Bay, Corner Inlet and Gippsland Lakes fisheries. This catch is within the previous 10‑year catch range (37–68 t). The commercial catch in the Gippsland Lakes has declined over the past 30 years; however, similar declines for other species were reportedly market driven, and it is unknown whether there has also been a decline in relative abundance⁷. In the Gippsland Lakes Fishery, Yelloweye Mullet constituted around 6 per cent (10 t) of the total commercial catch in 2009–10 ⁷. For the Port Phillip Bay Fishery, the 10‑year trend in catch and catch per unit effort is relatively constant, although catch has shown a decline over the past 30 years⁸. During 2013, 58 per cent of the total statewide catch was taken using haul-seine nets, and the remainder was caught using multifilament mesh nets. Yelloweye Mullet are caught by recreational fishers, but recent catch quantities are unknown. The 2000–01 recreational fishing survey indicated that around 60 t of mullet (unspecified) was caught by the recreational sector⁹. Formal stock assessment has not been undertaken for Yelloweye Mullet in Victoria. Therefore, insufficient information is available to confidently classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Yelloweye Mullet in Victoria is classified as an undefined stock.  

Tasmania 

In Tasmania, commercial catch peaked at 19 t in 1999, but has not exceeded 7 t since 2000, as a result of a decline in targeted fishing effort¹⁰ . Recreational catches peaked at 6.5 t in 1996–97. Reductions in the maximum permitted length of gillnets and an overall decline in participation ¹¹ led to a reduction in recreational catch to around 1.7 t in 2009–10¹⁰. Because this species has not been targeted heavily in recent years and catches have been historically low, there is insufficient catch-and-effort information available to confidently classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, Yelloweye Mullet in Tasmania is classified as an undefined stock.