Other common names: Known as Hoki in New Zealand

Caught with bottom and midwater trawl; not currently overfished but significant fishing of spawning aggregations off Tasmania means care must be taken not to deplete the stock; high bycatch of protected fur seals yet to be adequately addressed.

References: 7, 8, 9, 315, 315a, 319

Other common names: Also known as Hoki

Caught with bottom and midwater trawl; concern over depleted populations, particularly the western stock; high levels of bycatch including protected New Zealand fur seals; mostly imported from New Zealand.

References: 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 121a, 121b, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128

Other common names: Also known as Black Trevally, Sea Bream, Snotty Trevalla & Tasmanian Trevally

Bottom trawl caught; overfished; current catch levels much lower than in the past but stock remains overfished as well as subject to overfishing; concerns with bycatch and potential habitat damage; also imported from New Zealand.

References: 10, 315 

Species considered: Coral Cods, Bar Rockcods, Breaksea Cod, Rockcods & Groupers

Line and trap caught; complex mix of similar, generally slow-growing species vulnerable to overfishing; several species are threatened, protected or no-take in some areas, including Barramundi Cod, Potato Rockcod, Queensland Groper & Black Rockcod; Breaksea Cod considered vulnerable in WA; for Baldchin Groper see ‘Tuskfish’.

References: 12, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c  

Species considered: Eastern Sea & Southern Garfish

Other common names: Previously known as Hake

Predominantly trawl caught; Eastern Gemfish stock assessed as overfished in the Commonwealth fishery and recruitment overfished in NSW; listed as a ‘conservation dependent’ threatened species under Commonwealth environment legislation; a rebuilding strategy has been implemented, although concern remains over continued targeted fishing in the South East Trawl Fishery. 

Think Twice about Western Gemfish - uncertainty over the stock status.

References: 15, 315, 319  

Species considered: Species include: Cape Hake, Pacific Hake & South Atlantic Hake

Bottom and midwater trawl caught; relatively long-lived and slow-growing, increasing vulnerability to overfishing; imported from South Africa, Argentina, Namibia, New Zealand and Chile from generally large scale, high volume fisheries; stock depletions in some areas; significant bycatch associated with Hake fisheries, notably of seabirds and fur seals; South African fishery has significantly reduced its seabird bycatch although levels remain very high.

References: 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131

Mostly trawl caught; significant bycatch associated with the South East Trawl Fishery; still subject to overfishing but stock no longer in an overfished state; catches are still too high from the depleted eastern stock; west of Bass Strait the stock is considered in better shape; also imported from New Zealand.

References: 20, 315, 319

Other common names: Deep Sea Perch

Trawl and Danish seine caught; overfished (except Cascade Plateau) though no longer subject to overfishing due to low catch rates; listed as a ‘conservation dependent’ threatened species under Commonwealth environment legislation; very long-lived (up to 150 years) deepwater species that is extremely vulnerable to fishing pressure; previously depleted stocks likely to take many decades to recover; deep water habitats are vulnerable to damage from fishing gear; also imported from New Zealand.

References: 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 315

Species considered: Smooth, Spikey, Black, Warty & Oxeye Oreodory

Trawl and Danish seine caught; taken as a byproduct in fisheries for threatened Orange Roughy; no longer subject to overfishing due to low catch levels; very long-lived (up to 140 years for some species) deep water species that are extremely vulnerable to fishing pressure; deep water habitats are vulnerable to damage from fishing gear; several Oreodory species caught and there is uncertainty about stock levels. Also imported from New Zealand.

References: 36, 315, 319 

Species considered: Black Tiger & Vannamei Prawn

Farmed in ponds and tanks; potential for pollution of local waterways; feed added produced from wild fisheries means the environmental footprint extends beyond the area of the farm; environmental regulation and management standards generally weaker in some export countries so environmental concerns are amplified; widespread destruction of mangroves and other coastal habitat associated with prawn farming in Asia.

References: 132, 133, 133a, 133b, 133c, 271 

Other common names: Also known as Tasmanian Salmon, Salmon and Smoked Salmon

Majority produced in sea cages; carnivorous species with significant reliance on wild fisheries to supply feed; potential for pollution and fish escapes into the wild from sea cage operations; some operators have made significant efforts to reduce dependence on wild caught feed and chemical treatments, although tighter government regulation is still required to address sustainability concerns; also imported from New Zealand. 

Think Twice: Minor production in land-based farms is lower impact.

References: 219, 220, 221, 222, 222a, 222b, 227 

Other common names: Southern Scallop

Other common names: Marketed as Flake, particularly in Victoria

Gillnet, longline and trawl caught, depending on species and fishing location; slow-growing, long-lived and late-maturing group of species, producing few young, making all shark species vulnerable to fishing pressure; large declines in shark populations worldwide with several species listed as threatened with extinction by IUCN; School Shark is listed as a ‘conservation dependent’ threatened species under Commonwealth environment legislation; bycatch of dolphins and Australian sea lions has been an issue in the gummy shark fishery off SA – area closures are in place to reduce the impact of the fishery on these threatened species; many shark species e.g. tropical sharks are still caught without any stock assessments; shark meat also imported from poorly managed fisheries in Asia.

References: 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 74a, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 214a, 325, 326, 328, 334

Other common names: Pink Snapper

Line, trap, gillnet and trawl caught; overfished or recovering from overfishing in WA; overfished in QLD; in NSW the increase in minimum size limit appears to have improved stock status, although it remains ‘growth overfished’; regional differences in stock status in SA; relatively long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressure; species plays an important role in marine ecosystems; also imported, mainly from New Zealand where Snapper is overfished and a stock rebuilding program is underway.

References: 86, 87, 88, 325, 328, 331

Species considered: Several species including Saddletail, Crimson, Goldband, Rosy & Ruby Snappers, Red Bass & Mangrove Jack

Other common names: Marlin

Longline caught; worldwide declines in marlin populations; stock status uncertain in eastern and western Australian fisheries and in Pacific and Indian Ocean fisheries; important predator species with likely negative ecosystem effects if removed in large numbers; associated bycatch of threatened shark and turtle species in longline fisheries; Black and Blue Marlin are recreational-only species no longer permitted to be landed commercially.

References: 101, 102, 326

Other common names: Previously known as Broadbill Swordfish

Longline caught; worldwide declines in Swordfish populations; subject to overfishing in Indian Ocean; important predator species with likely negative ecosystem effects if removed in large numbers; associated bycatch of threatened shark and turtle species in longline fisheries.

References: 11, 320

Other common names: Rainbow Trout previously known as Ocean Trout; Brown Trout farmed in freshwater

Majority farmed in sea cages; concerns about potential for pollution and fish escapes into the wild from sea cages; reliance on catch of significant quantities of small fish from near the base of the food web to supply feed for this industry; some operators have made significant improvements in management, although tighter regulation is still required to address sustainability concerns. 

Think Twice: Land-based farmed Trout

References: 221, 222, 222a, 223, 224, 227 

Other common names: Also called Tuna

Predominantly longline caught; Albacore not considered overfished off east or west coasts of Australia; bycatch of threatened species including sharks and turtles is of significant concern; Australian fisheries are part of the major fishery in Indian and Pacific Oceans; also imported (see canned Tuna).

Better Choice: Troll or pole and line caught Albacore Tuna.

References: 144  

Other common names: Tuna

Predominantly longline caught; Bigeye Tuna listed as ‘vulnerable’ by IUCN; no longer considered overfished off the east coast of Australia, but there is considerable concern over localized depletions in the Coral and Tasman Seas as well as concern over the on-going high levels of fishing that could lead to overfished stocks if catch levels are not reduced; not overfished off Australia’s west coast; bycatch of sharks and turtles of significant concern; as a high level predator there are potential negative ecosystem effects of depleted Tuna populations; also imported from New Zealand and South Pacific.

References: 4, 5, 5a, 6, 326 

Other common names: Tuna

Predominantly purse seine caught with minor longline catches; overfished with a severely depleted population; assessed as ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN and threatened in NSW and VIC; Australian fishery mostly targets juveniles for fattening up in sea cage aquaculture operations; long-lived, late-maturing species that is vulnerable to fishing pressure; potential negative ecosystem effects of severe depletion of this high level predator species.

References: 97, 98, 99, 100  

Other common names: Also called Tuna

Farmed in sea cages after wild capture; mostly caught as juveniles in the wild before being transferred to sea cages for fattening up; very poor feed conversion ratio, meaning less fish is produced than is fed to the Tuna; feed sourced from fisheries with dolphin bycatch issues. 

References: 108, 108a, 109, 221, 227, 327 

Other common names: Tuna

Other common names: Previously known as WA Pearl Perch & Jewfish

Caught using multiple methods including line, trawl and gillnet; relatively long-lived species vulnerable to fishing pressure; quota cuts have reduced commercial catch by 50%, stock is considered to be in a recovery phase, though monitoring of stock recovery required; predominantly younger fish caught indicating a declining breeding stock.

References: 14, 325 

Other common names: Kingfish, Yellowtail & Tasmanian Yellowtail

Produced in sea cages; concerns about pollution of and escapes into coastal waters from sea cages; reliance on wild caught fisheries to supply feed, meaning environmental footprint extends beyond the farm.

References: 221, 222a, 223, 227