Marine Scalefish Fishery

The Marine Scalefish Fishery operates in all coastal waters of South Australia including gulfs, bays and estuaries (excluding the Coorong estuary), from the Western Australian border to the Victorian border.  The fishery includes most marine species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans, annelids and sharks, but excludes rock lobster, prawns, abalone, blue crabs and freshwater fish species, all of which are managed separately.  

The term ‘scalefish’ is somewhat of a misnomer when applied to a few of the species in this commercial sector (eg squid and sharks). The majority of production is still comprised of traditional scalefish species, in particular King George whiting, snapper, southern sea garfish and Australian salmon. Other species (especially southern calamary, sharks, ocean jackets, sand crabs and cockles) provide an important contribution to the value of the fishery.

There are more than 50 species of ‘scalefish’ taken by commercial fishers in South Australia. Of these, less than 10 are targeted consistently. King George whiting is the state’s most important fish from both a commercial and recreational point of view.

The commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery is a limited entry fishery currently managed through input controls. Access to the fishery is limited to holders of a licence pursuant to the Fisheries Management (Marine Scalefish Fisheries) Regulations 2006 (external site).

These regulations preclude the Director of Fisheries from granting any additional fishing licences in the fishery.  As of 12 April 2005, 402 fishers held a licence to operate only within the Marine Scalefish Fishery. Of these, 377 held marine scalefish licences and 25 held restricted marine scalefish licences.

The heterogeneous mixture of participants, fishing devices and licence conditions make the task of managing this fishery in accordance with the requirements of the Fisheries Act more difficult than most other fisheries.

The large number of licence holders, the great variety of species being targeted, and variations and permutations of licence endorsements compound the complexity of the current management arrangements. In addition, licence holders in other fisheries have access to species prescribed in the Marine Scalefish Fishery for commercial purposes including the Rock Lobster Fishery, the Lakes and Coorong Fishery and the Miscellaneous Fishery.