Estimated Catch: 246 tonnes

Stock Status of Target Species

Source: Patterson, H, Williams, A, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R 2019, Fishery status reports 2019, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra. CC BY 4.0.

MANAGEMENT PLANS/ARRANGEMENTS

The Southern Squid Jig Fishery is managed in accordance with the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005 and the Arrow Squid Fishery Harvest Strategy. The management arrangements include regulating the type and amount of fishing gear able to be used. There were no changes to the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005 in 2018-19.

ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE

Status of fish stocks

Gould's squid (also known as arrow squid) is a highly productive and relatively short lived species. It is not managed to a target reference point; the harvest strategy is based on a series of catch and effort triggers which, if reached, will trigger further analyses and management responses.

Effort and catch in the Southern Squid Jig Fishery continues to vary between seasons and has been relatively low in recent years despite an increase to 817 tonnes during 2017-18. Catch during 2018-19 was 241 tonnes, well below the initial 3000 trigger in the harvest strategy and has not resulted in further analyses and management responses being triggered.

An ongoing challenge for the squid fishery is locating commercially viable aggregations of squid, an issue exacerbated by a small fleet size. Despite low catches, the price received was the highest reported in recent years.

Squid boat Port Fairy Victoria Photo courtesy Clayton McCloud AFMA Media Library