Eastern School Whiting
pinungana (Fish)
In palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aborigines, with thanks to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
Sillago flindersi (Eastern School Whiting)
2022/23 Eastern School Whiting Status (Released August 24)
| Stock Status | SUSTAINABLE | ||
| Summary | Eastern School Whiting is predominantly a Commonwealth-managed species, classified as “Not overfished nor subject to overfishing” by ABARES in the Fishery Status Reports 2023 (Butler et al. 2023). It has also been classified as Sustainable in the 2020 Status of Australian Fish Stocks Report (Piddocke et al. 2021). Tasmanian catches fluctuate due to market demand but generally represent only a small proportion of the overall Commonwealth commercial catch. | ||
| 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
Eastern School Whiting is endemic to south-eastern Australia, from southern Queensland to western Victoria and around Tasmania. This schooling species is associated with sandy habitats and is found in deeper coastal waters as well as coastal lakes and estuaries (Gomon et al. 2008). In Tasmania, Eastern School Whiting is caught primarily using Danish Seine gear in the south of the state. Danish seine fishing operations target either Eastern School Whiting or Flathead (primarily Tiger Flathead) and each target species represents the main by-product species when the other is targeted, leading to opposing trends in catch and effort for Eastern School Whiting and Tiger Flathead. There is a small recreational line fishery for Eastern School Whiting in southern Tasmania.
The latest full Scalefish Assessment can be found at the link:
Learn more about what each stock status classification means on our Stock Status Classifications Information Page:
Social and Economic Indicators