Saddletail snapper stock

Species

Fish stock status

Although a species may be classified as sustainable under the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) framework, this does not mean that the stock is meeting Queensland targets under the harvest strategy.

Stock20232020201820162014
East Coast QueenslandSustainableUndefinedUndefinedUndefinedUndefined
Gulf of CarpentariaSustainableSustainableSustainableSustainableSustainable

Stock assessment

The 2021 stock assessment used current biological data, commercial and recreational catch data to:

  • determine the sustainability of the stock
  • help inform management decisions
  • inform the application of the reef line harvest strategy.

This assessment estimated that the saddletail snapper stock was between 13% and 73% of unfished levels, and most probably at around 23%.

The assessment used Stock Synthesis, a modelling framework that was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States).

Biomass estimates and key management actions

The chart presents the biomass ratio of saddletail snapper from 1961 to 2020. The ratio is relative to 1 in 1961. Data used in the stock assessment includes 33 years of commercial catch data, 3,948 fish aged, 26,089 commercially caught fish measured and 629 recreational catches measured.
Chart of Australian east coast stock assessment biomass estimates and key management actions for saddletail snapper.
© Queensland Government

Estimated retained catch from 1961 to 2020

The chart presents retained catch for saddletail snapper on the east coast of Queensland. The chart shows the data used and the modelled retained catch for the commercial and charter, recreational and indigenous sectors.
Chart of estimated retained catch for Queensland east coast saddletail snapper from 1961 to 2020.
© Queensland Government

Monitoring

Saddletail snapper are included in the coral reef fish biological monitoring program.

Ecological risk assessment

Assessed in the:

  • reef line fishery
  • Gulf of Carpentaria development fin fish trawl fishery.

Management

Reef line fishery:

Last updated: 10 Jul 2024