Got a fishy problem ± just ASK ABN - 88 095 563 923 From Alan Snow Konsulting To Fish Names Stakeholders Date Monday, February 04, 2008 Reference P07-43(3) Subject Stakeholder Consultation - Change of name from Rockcod to Grouper Stakeholders are being consulted with regards to a policy position adopted at FNC 15 that in line with international conventions, all species within the Epinephelinae sub-family be consistently referred to as Groupers in preference to Rockcods as is currently the case. Adoption of this policy position will require a number of amendments to the Australian Fish Names Standard. Stakeholders are therefore being consulted and advised of the proposed changes to the AFNS which would eventuate. All feedback from stakeholders will be considered by the FNC at FNC 16 to be held in April 2008. Proposed amendments to amend the Australian Fish Names Standard will then be prepared and will be again circulated to stakeholders for further comment prior to consideration at FNC 17 in October-November 2008. Stakeholders are urged to review the list of affected species outlined in Table 2 and are invited to provide feedback on 1. Comments on the thrust of the policy as outlined above 2. What species should be exempted from the list of proposed amendments to the AFNS 3. Reasons why the species should be exempted. Please provide feedback by 7 March 2008 to [email protected] in writing to the address below. Please forward this memorandum to all persons with an interest in this matter. An earlier report which gives more information can be downloaded from the SSA website at http://seafood.net.au/files/grouper040208.pdf Recommendations from FNC 15 The following recommendations were approved at FNC 15. All Correspondence to Alan Snow Phone 61 7 3390 6220 Alan Snow Konsulting Mobile 0418 199 516 44 Marie Street e-mail [email protected] MURARRIE Qld 4172 web www.askonsulting.com.au Page 2 of 5 1. That FNC policy be that in line with international conventions, all species within the Epinephelinae sub-family be Groupers in preference to Rockcods as is currently the case. 2. That all species previously known as Coral Cods be renamed as Coralcods (one word)). 3. That SSA initiate applications to amend the Australian Fish Names List with an aim of renaming all species in the Epinephelinae sub-family as Groupers as opposed to Rockcods. 4. That applications to amend the Australian Fish Names List clearly articulate that it is the FNC intention to change Standard Fish Names for species in the Epinephelinae sub-family from Rockcod to Grouper unless extenuating circumstances are identified as part of the public consultation process in which case the existing name would continue. Justification for the Amendments There has been prolonged debate for many years as to whether the affected species should be called Rockcod or Grouper. Australia has generally referred to the species as Rockcods where internationally they are referred to as Groupers. These amendments will mean that fish names used in Australia are in harmony with names used in other countries and consistent within the Epinephilae sub-family. Background In 2007, Seafood Services Australia Ltd commissioned Alan Snow Konsulting to prepare a report on existing and potential Standard Fish Names (SFN) for all Epinephelus and similar species in Australia. The groupers (Family Serranidae; Subfamily Epinephelinae) comprise about 160 species globally in the tropics and subtropics. Many groupers are commercially important. In Australia, the group Epinephelus & Cephalopholis spp. are collectively called Rockcods whereas the Epinephelus spp group is collectively called Groupers. Individual Epinephelus species are either known as Rockcods or Groupers depending on their history of usage. The question as to whether Epinephelus species should be termed Rockcods or Groupers has caused considerable debate over a number of years. There is an increasing tendency and preference towards usage of the name Grouper, except for Epinephelus lanceolatus, the Queensland Groper This is counterbalanced by applications to change from Grouper to Rockcod. Page 3 of 5 A scan of the Australian Standard Fish Names List (all species) gives the following variation and incidence of name usage. Cods 2 Rockcods 19 Groupers 25 Groper 1 While one of the species Epinephelus lanceolatus, the Queensland Groper is a groper and not a Grouper, almost all other Epinephelus species are called either Rcckcods or Groupers. There does not appear to be any clear preference of one over the other with applications being received to change species from Rockcod to Grouper and also to change Grouper to Rockcod. Grouper would appear to be the more common name used internationally but both Grouper and Rockcod have a history of usage in Australia. Applications to change the Australian Standard Fish names List have regularly stated that Grouper is a more acceptable name, particularly with the Asian community. This was certainly highlighted through the results of an International workshop held in Hong Kong, from 7-11 February, 2007. The aim of this workshop for Global Red List Assessment of Groupers was to assess 139 groupers, in addition to those that are currently on the red list (i.e. assessed within the last 10 years), thereby completing all 161 species. The Epinephelus species are all referred to collectively as Groupers and individual species such as Epinephelus diacanthus referred to as the Spinycheek Grouper. This species is currently not listed in CAAB but would in all probability be assigned the same name in Australia. Table 1 - Taxonomic Hierarchy of Epinephelinae The scientific classification of species including Groupers and Rockcods is identified below and the overall naming policy developed by the FNC identified in column 3. Policy Position Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Serranidae Rockcods Sub-Family Epinephelinae Genus: Epinephelus Grouper Aethaloperca Anyperodon Cephalopholis Coralcod Plectropomus Variola Page 4 of 5 Table 2 ± Species which would be affected by the name Change As demonstrated above, the two major changes will be that • Cephalopholis spp will become Coralcods (previously known as coral cods) • Epinephelus spp will become Groupers This table identifies those species that will be affected by the change of name. CAAB Scientific name Current SFN Proposed SFN Code 37 311134 Aethaloperca rogaa Redmouth Rockcod Redmouth Grouper 37 311085 Anyperodon Whitelined Rockcod Whitelined Grouper leucogrammicus 37 311904 Cephalopholis spp Coral Cod (Group name) Coralcods (Group name) 37 311082 Cephalopholis argus Peacock Rockcod Peacock Coralcod 37 311008 Cephalopholis boenak Brownbarred Rockcod Brownbarred Coralcod 37 311136 Cephalopholis Bluespotted Rockcod Bluespotted Coralcod cyanostigma 37 311137 Cephalopholis formosa Bluelined Rockcod Bluelined Coralcod 37 311138 Cephalopholis leopardus Leopard Rockcod Leopard Coralcod 37 311139 Cephalopholis microprion Dot-head Rockcod Dot-head Coralcod 37 311083 Cephalopholis miniata Coral Rockcod Coral Coralcod 37 311140 Cephalopholis Sixband Rockcod Sixband Coralcod sexmaculata 37 311045 Cephalopholis sonnerati Tomato Rockcod Tomato Coralcod 37 311141 Cephalopholis Strawberry Rockcod Strawberry Coralcod spiloparaea 37 311142 Cephalopholis urodeta Flagtail Rockcod Flagtail Coralcod 37 311911 Epinephelus spp Grouper Grouper 37 311015 Epinephelus Banded Grouper Banded Grouper amblycephalus 37 311009 Epinephelus areolatus Yellowspotted Rockcod Yellowspotted Grouper 37 311062 Epinephelus bilobatus Frostback Rockcod Frostback Grouper 37 311041 Epinephelus bleekeri Duskytail Grouper Duskytail Grouper 37 311070 Epinephelus Whitespotted Grouper Whitespotted Grouper coeruleopunctatus 37 311007 Epinephelus coioides Goldspotted Rockcod Goldspotted Grouper 37 311066 Epinephelus corallicola Coral Grouper Coral Grouper 37 311145 Epinephelus cyanopodus Purple Rockcod Purple Grouper 37 311077 Epinephelus daemelii Black Rockcod Black Grouper 37 311146 Epinephelus darwinensis Darwin Grouper Darwin Grouper 37 311046 Epinephelus epistictus Dotted Grouper Dotted Grouper 37 311147 Epinephelus Banded Rockcod Banded Grouper ergastularius 37 311910 Epinephelus Bar Rockcod (group Bar Grouper (group ergastularius & code) code) Epinephelus septemfasciatus 37 311014 Epinephelus fasciatus Blacktip Rockcod Blacktip Grouper 37 311021 Epinephelus Flowery Rockcod Flowery Grouper Page 5 of 5 CAAB Scientific name Current SFN Proposed SFN Code fuscoguttatus 37 311019 Epinephelus heniochus Threeline Rockcod Threeline Grouper 37 311064 Epinephelus Wirenet Rockcod Wirenet Grouper hexagonatus 37 311148 Epinephelus howlandi Blacksaddle Rockcod Blacksaddle Grouper 37 311061 Epinephelus lanceolatus Queensland Groper Queensland Grouper 37 311043 Epinephelus latifasciatus Striped Grouper Striped Grouper 37 311149 Epinephelus macrospilos Snubnose Grouper Snubnose Grouper 37 311011 Epinephelus maculatus Highfin Grouper Highfin Grouper 37 311173 Epinephelus magniscuttis Speckled Grouper Speckled Grouper 37 311150 Epinephelus malabaricus Blackspotted Rockcod Blackspotted Grouper 37 311065 Epinephelus Oneblotch Grouper Oneblotch Grouper melanostigma 37 311063 Epinephelus merra Birdwire Rockcod Birdwire Grouper 37 311177 Epinephelus miliaris Netfin Grouper Netfin Grouper 37 311151 Epinephelus morrhua Comet Grouper Comet Grouper 37 311010 Epinephelus multinotatus Rankin Cod Rankin Grouper 37 311152 Epinephelus Eightbar Grouper Eightbar Grouper octofasciatus 37 311069