Jackass Morwong
pinungana (Fish)
In palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aborigines, with thanks to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
Nemadactylus macropterus (Jackass Morwong)
2021/22 Jackass Morwong Status (Released March 24)
| Stock Status | DEPLETED | ||
| Summary | Jackass Morwong is a predominantly Commonwealth-managed species. The Eastern stock, which is primarily caught in Tasmania, has been classified as ‘Depleted’ by AFMA in the Species Summary Report 2023 (AFMA 2023). Catch and effort reported by scalefish fishers in Tasmania have been low for the past 15 years. | ||
| Importance | Minor | ||
| Stock | Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery and Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Commonwealth) | ||
| Indicator(s) | Catch, effort and CPUE trends | ||
| Managing Jurisdiction | Commonwealth | ||
Background
Jackass Morwong is a large, long-lived species associated with exposed sand and silt habitat from central Queensland to southern Western Australia, including Tasmania (Edgar 2008). Abundance of Jackass Morwong is low in Tasmanian waters and, as such, the species is not targeted in Tasmania, but landed as by-product of gillnetting. Commonwealth assessments concluded that Jackass Morwong stocks were Overfished from 2008 to 2010, but stocks have since been classified as Sustainable (Patterson et al. 2021). There is a significant recreational fishery for Jackass Morwong in Tasmania, primarily targeting the species using gillnet gear.
Learn more about what each stock status classification means on our Stock Status Classifications Information Page:
Social and Economic Indicators