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Bluethroat Wrasse
Latin name: Notolabrus tetricus
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Wild Caught
Region:
TAS
- In Tasmania, Bluethroat wrasse are primarily targeted in line and trap fisheries, but are also caught as bycatch in other fisheries, particularly lobster pot fisheries.
- Bluethroat wrasse populations are healthy, and in better condition to other jurisdictions. Though there is some uncertainty around whether localised depletion is occurring, a risk for this species.
- Fishing for bluethroat wrasse uses methods that pose a low risk to endangered species and marine habitats.
- Scalefish Fishery. Some wrasse caught are used for bait in the Rock Lobster Fishery, and is likely to be underreported (36t in 2022/23).
Bluethroat wrasse are a fairly long-lived (up to 23 years) predatory fish found in southeastern waters around coastal reefs. They begin life as females and change sex to males at a length of about 20-25 cm. The largest Australian bluethroat wrasse fishery operates around Tasmania using handlines and trap fishing methods.
The population structure of bluethroat wrasse is poorly understood. The species has a complex social structure where adult male fish defend a territory including a group of female mates with overlapping home ranges. This likely makes the species vulnerable to localised depletion if fishing effort is concentrated in only a few areas.
Improving trends in fishery monitoring data and stable catches over the medium term give confidence that bluethroat wrasse stocks in Tasmania are at healthy levels.
While reporting, management arrangements and information availability for this species is inadequate, the small scale of the fishery and the methods used are likely to ensure a low impact of the fishery on other species and marine habitats.
Fishery management also considers independent survey monitoring data. There have been efforts to understand the impacts of the climate crisis on key targets in the Scalefish Fishery which is welcome, although management strategies to deal with the changes do not appear to have been implemented yet.
