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Yellowtail Scad have an Australian distribution from southern Queensland to northern Western Australia. The eastern stock of Yellowtail Scad occurs in Queensland, New South Wales and Commonwealth waters and is classified as sustainable. Catches off Western Australia are limited, and the stock is also sustainable.

Yellowtail Scad have an Australian distribution from southern Queensland to northern Western Australia (Stewart and Ferrell, 2001), and also occur off New Zealand (Horn, 1993; Horn and Maolagáin, 2020). Their biological stock structure remains unknown; but in New South Wales there is some evidence of geographical differences in growth rates which might indicate subpopulations (Stewart and Ferrell, 2001). Similar population variability has been observed for Yellowtail Scad off New Zealand (Horn, 1993).

Here, assessment of stock structure is presented at the biological stock level for eastern Australia. The Western Australia stock status remains jurisdictional.

Western Australia

Most of the Western Australia catch of yellowtail scad is taken by the commercial purse seine sector, which targets sardines and operates in limited areas, usually in coastal bays (e.g., King George Sound and Cockburn Sound). Thus, Yellowtail Scad is vulnerable to the fishery only when they enter these waters and comprise a negligible component of the sector’s total catch. The purse seine nominal annual catch rates (kg/boat day) fluctuate interannually, but the latter's decadal average in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s ranged from 5 to 7 kg/boat day. It then increased to 11 kg/boat day in the 2010s, and in 2021/22 was 9 kg/boat day day from an annual catch of 7 t. The boat based annual recreational catch was estimated to be < 1 t from a survey during 2020–21 [Ryan et al. 2022].

An ecological risk assessment [Blazeski et al. 2021] has rated all fishing to be a negligible risk to the Western Australia stock, and so it is classified as a sustainable stock.

Yellowtail Scad biology [Stewart and Ferrell 2001; Broadhurst et al. 2018]

Distribution of the reported commercial catch of Yellowtail Scad

Commonwealth – Commercial (Catch). Commonwealth data are presented for 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.

Western Australia – Recreational (Management Methods). A ‘recreational-fishing-from-boat license’ is required when using a powered boat to fish, or transport catch or fishing gear to, or from, a land-based fishing location. Shore based catches are largely unknown.

Queensland – Indigenous (Management Methods). For more information see Traditional fishing | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au)

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

Queensland – Commercial (Catch). Commercial and charter data have been sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information is available through the Fisheries Summary Report

Queensland – Recreational Fishing (Catch). Data are based at the whole of Queensland level and derived from state-wide recreational fishing surveys. Where possible, estimates have been converted to weights (tonnes) using best known conversion multipliers. Conversion factors may display regional or temporal variability. In the absence of an adequate conversion factor, data are presented as the number of fish.

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch). Data have been sourced from surveys: Henry and Lyle [2003]; West et al. [2015]; Murphy et al. [2020, 2022].

New South Wales – https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aboriginal-fishing.

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

Commercial catch of Yellowtail Scad - note confidential catch not shown

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