I & I NSW WILD FISHERIES RESEARCH PROGRAM Yellowtail Scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) EXPLOITATION STATUS FULLY FISHED A relatively long-lived small pelagic species which is significant in commercial and recreational catches, exploited throughout its range. SCIENTIFIC NAME STANDARD NAME COMMENT Trachurus novaezelandiae yellowtail scad Trachurus novaezelandiae Image © Bernard Yau Background Yellowtail scad (Trachurus novaezelandiae) occur trawl-caught yellowtail scad is discarded. around southern Australia from Queensland Catches are taken throughout the year, with to WA, and off New Zealand. The species slightly higher catches in summer and autumn. inhabits coastal waters and the lower reaches Yellowtail scad is a very significant species in of estuaries. Adults are frequently associated recreational catches, and is often caught for use with rocky reefs, while juveniles commonly as bait by both recreational and commercial occur over shallow, soft substrate and around fishers. structures such as wharves. Since about 1997, the reported landed catch of In NSW waters, yellowtail scad grow to a yellowtail scad has been between maximum length of about 33 cm and age of 300 and 500 t per annum. Most is sold for 15 years, while in New Zealand, the species human consumption but there is an increasing reaches 40 cm and an age of 28 years. NSW demand for the use of yellowtail scad as bait yellowtail scad mature at approximately in other commercial and recreational fishing three years old and 20-22 cm fork length, and activities, particularly as live bait for tuna. spawning occurs in summer and autumn. In NSW, yellowtail scad are mainly caught by the Ocean Hauling Fishery in purse seine nets. Smaller quantities are also taken in bait nets (which are modified hauling nets) and general purpose hauling nets. Small quantities are also landed by trawlers but much of the STATUS OF FISHERIES RESOURCES IN NSW, 2008/09 YELLowtaiL ScaD | P 385 WILD FISHERIES RESEARCH PROGRAM Additional Notes Landings by Commercial Fishery of Yellowtail Scad • This species is the basis of targeted purse Ocean Trap and Line seine, bait-for-own-use and recreational Ocean Prawn Trawl fisheries in estuarine and near coastal waters Ocean Hauling (Target Species) off NSW. Fish Trawl • Yellowtail scad are also harvested under Estuary General permit by Commonwealth fishers for use as * Estuary Prawn Trawl (Byproduct Species) bait in the tuna longline fishery. • Length- and age-based monitoring of 500 commercial catches was conducted from 2001 to 2008 at the Sydney Fish Market 400 (note that monitoring data are mainly representative of the oceanic purse seine 300 Landings (t) fishery. 200 • Yellowtail scad are relatively long-lived for a 100 small pelagic species and have been aged to >15 years old. 0 97/98 99/00 01/02 03/04 05/06 07/08 • Length and age data from commercial Financial Year monitoring have recently been analysed - the Reported landings of yellowtail scad by NSW commercial results show the fishery is based mainly on fisheries from 1997/98. * Fisheries which contribute less 3 to 10 year old fish and suggest the passage than 2.5% of the landings are excluded for clarity and through the stock of a number of ‘stronger’ privacy. year classes. • Only a minor species in the Commonwealth sector. Growth Curve of Yellowtail Scad ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 30 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Catch ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Recreational Catch of Yellowtail Scad ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 25 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● The annual recreational harvest of yellowtail ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● scad in NSW is likely to lie between 40 and 60 t. ● ● ● ● This estimate is based upon the results of the 20 offsite National Recreational and Indigenous FL (cm) ● ● ● ● Fishing Survey (Henry and Lyle, 2003) and ● ● ● 15 ● onsite surveys undertaken by I & I NSW. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 10 ● ● ● ● Historical Landings of Yellowtail Scad 0 5 10 15 Age (years) 500 Age-length data with fitted growth curve for yellowtail scad (internal data). Lengths are presented as 400 fork length (FL). 300 Landings (t) 200 100 0 68/69 73/74 78/79 83/84 88/89 93/94 98/99 03/04 08/09 Financial Year Commercial landings (including available historical records) of yellowtail scad for NSW from 1969/70 to 2008/09 for all fishing methods. P 386 | YELLowtaiL ScaD STATUS OF FISHERIES RESOURCES IN NSW, 2008/09 Length Frequency of Yellowtail Scad Further Reading Henry, G.W. and J.M. Lyle (2003). The National 0.20 2000/01−2001/02 Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey. Final n = 13 056 Report to the Fisheries Research & Development 0.15 Corporation and the Fisheries Action Program Project FRDC 1999/158. NSW Fisheries Final Report Series No. 48. 188 pp. Cronulla, NSW Fisheries. 0.10 Proportion Lowry, M., A. Steffe and D. Williams (2006). Relationships between bait collection, bait type and 0.05 catch: A comparison of the NSW trailer-boat and gamefish-tournament fisheries. Fisheries Research 0.00 78 (2-3): 266-275. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Steffe, S., J. Murphy, D. Chapman, B.E. Tarlington, G.N.G. Gordon and A. Grinberg (1996). An assessment of the impact of offshore recreational 0.20 2003/04−2006/07 n = 8608 fishing in New South Wales on the management of commercial fisheries. Project 94/053. Sydney, NSW 0.15 Fisheries Research Institute: 139 pp. Stewart, J. and D.J. Ferrell (2001). Age, growth, and 0.10 commercial landings of yellowtail scad (Trachurus Proportion novaezelandiae) and blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) off the coast of New South Wales, 0.05 Australia, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 35 (3): 541-551. 0.00 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Stewart, J., D.J. Ferrell and N.L. Andrew (1998). Ageing Yellowtail (Trachurus novaezelandiae) and Blue Mackeral (Scomber australasicus) in New South Wales. Final report to Fisheries Research 0.20 2007/08−2008/09 n = 3757 and Development Corporation - Project 95/151. Cronulla, NSW Fisheries. 0.15 Stewart, J., D.J. Ferrell and N.L. Andrew (1999). Validation of the formation and appearance of 0.10 annual marks in the otoliths of yellowtail (Trachurus Proportion novaezelandiae) and blue mackerel (Scomber 0.05 australasicus) in New South Wales. Marine and Freshwater Research 50 (5): 389-395. 0.00 Wilson, D., R. Curtotti, G. Begg and K. Phillips, Eds. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 (2009). Fishery Status Reports 2008: status of fish FL (cm) stocks and fisheries managed by the Australian Government. Canberra, Bureau of Rural Sciences The length distribution of yellowtail scad landed by NSW & Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource commercial purse seine fishers has remained relatively Economics. stable in recent years and shows two modes - a smaller mode at 12 to 18 cm fork length (FL) and the main mode between 20 and 30 cm FL. There is no minimum legal Please visit the CSIRO website, length for yellowtail scad in NSW. http://www.marine.csiro.au/caab/ and search for the species code (CAAB) 37 337003, common name or scientific name to find further information. © State of New South Wales through Industry and Investment NSW 2010. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute Industry and Investment NSW as the owner. Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (April 2010). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Industry and Investment NSW or the user’s independent adviser. YELLowtaiL ScaD | P 387 WILD FISHERIES RESEARCH PROGRAM P 388 | YELLowtaiL ScaD.