Almost 50 per cent of finfish caught recreationally in Tasmania are Sand Flathead, but stocks of this popular species have declined around the State.
Fishers have reported having to fish for longer, travel further, or try new spots to catch a feed of Sand Flathead. This decline was confirmed by the scientists when Sand Flathead was officially classified as depleted in 2022.
The Government is working with fishers, researchers and the community to get this important recreational fishery on the path to recovery, and we all have a role to play.
Learn what we're doing:
Where we are currently
The most recent
IMAS sand flathead stock assessment has identified heavy recreational fishing pressure as the primary cause of sand flathead decline.
Heavy fishing pressure has impacted the sand flathead fishery in a number of ways:
-
Numbers of flathead larger than 35cm are low.
- The
average size of a flathead is
getting smaller.
- Most flathead are
caught within a year of reaching legal size in heavily fished areas.
- Large
breeding females are depleted in most areas.
- Fishing is removing
faster-growing fish, leaving more genetically stunted flathead to breed.
Sand flathead fishery biomass (the weight of all the fish in the stock) is below the internationally recognised level of 20% where urgent management action is required.
Putting sand flathead on the path to recovery
We need to significantly reduce how much sand flathead we catch. Rule changes through the
Scalefish Rules Review were an important step in reducing catch, but the everyday choices and stewardship of the recreational fishing community are also critical for recovering sand flathead.
Find out some of the simple steps you can take on your next fishing trip to help get this iconic species back on its feet.
There are also
multiple sand flathead research projects planned or underway to inform the recovery process.
These projects are part of a $3.3 million research program with the
Fisheries Research Development Corporation, which includes a $900,000 contribution from the Tasmanian Government.
The Government has also committed $1.2 million over the next four years to establish a stock enhancement program for sand flathead.
Research findings will inform a sand flathead
harvest strategy, which NRE Tas will develop
with fishers, researchers and other stakeholders. The harvest strategy will provide a management framework to achieve stock recovery and maintain a sustainable fishery so future generations of Tasmanians can continue to enjoy catching sand flathead.
Most flathead are
caught within a year of reaching legal size in heavily fished areas.