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Saddletail Snapper


Latin name: Lutjanus malabaricus


Common names: Red Snapper, Tropical Snapper, Snapper

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Wild Caught

Region:
NT

Key Facts

  • Saddletail snapper is a tropical species caught in QLD, NT and WA.
  • The stock status of saddletail snapper is uncertain in WA as a result of insufficient information on the species’ abundance.
  • While there are no immediate concerns over the stock in NT the amount of fishing happening in NT has increased in recent years, and there is considerable uncertainty over the status of stocks.
  • Saddletail snapper from WA are caught in fish trap and line fisheries that catch a number of other species of coral reef fish. Stocks of most other reef fish caught in the fisheries are also uncertain.
  • There is no observer coverage in the WA fishery; independent observer coverage of trawl fisheries in NT indicates interactions with sawfish, dolphins and hammerhead sharks although it is unlikely that catch levels are contributing to further declines in these species.
  • In NT the expansion of the trawl sector of the fishery since 2011 is of concern due to potential impacts on marine habitat and protected species. Habitat type is largely unknown; however the area trawled is small.
  • Fishery management improvements in the NT should address issues of concern in those jurisdictions.

Note: A minor portion is trawl caught in a fishery based in WA’s Pilbara. Saddletail snapper caught from this fishery would receive a red, ‘Say No’ rating due to ongoing dolphin deaths as bycatch.

More information

  • NT Demersal Fishery, Timor Reef Fishery, Coastal Line Fishery (1,750t 2015)
  • WA Northern Demersal Scalefish Fishery (99t 2015)

Saddletail snapper is a tropical species found across northern Australia but fished and managed by different jurisdictions. The vast majority of the catch comes from the NT trawl fishery.While there are no immediate sustainability concerns for saddletail snapper stocks in the NT, the amount of fishing has increased in recent years, and there is considerable uncertainty over whether the amount of fishing is set at a sustainable level.

In  WA there is insufficient information on the abundance of this species that would enable fisheries scientists to undertake full stock assessments.The amount of trawling occurring in the NT has expanded significantly since 2011, when trawling increasingly replaced trap and line fishing as the prefered method. In addition, a trial has been underway in the Timor Sea for three years with no reported outcomes at the time of this assessment in early 2018. Concerns over the high fishing effort have been noted by fisheries managers, and it is expected that management actions will come into force in 2018 that should address these issues.

Saddletail snapper caught in  WA fishery are caught using line and trap methods. The fishery also catches a number of other species of coral reef fish but most of these fish stocks are uncertain because of a lack of reliable biological data and information on the effects of fishing.The impacts of line fishing on the marine environment are minimal. The habitat trawled in the NT is poorly understood; currently the trawled area represents less than 5% of the total area available. Improved habitat mapping is urgently needed and is being considered as part of current management actions.

Independent fishery observer programs are an important method of verifying protected species interactions, as well as other fishery impacts, such as the type and volume of discarded catch.  Independent observer coverage of trawl fisheries in NT indicates interactions with sawfish, dolphins and hammerhead sharks, although it is unlikely the catch level is contributing to further declines in the populations of these species.

Actions underway in the NT should address outstanding issues in the trawl fisheries. However, if identified issues remain outstanding at the next assessment for Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide, it is likely that this species will be downgraded to a red ‘Say No’ listing.

Some saddletail snapper are caught in a trawl fishery that operates in the Pilbara.This fishery has considerable issues with dolphin bycatch in fishing nets, and is not considered in this assessment. Saddletail snappers caught in the Pilbara trawl fishery would receive a Red, ‘Say No’ rating; however the majority of saddletail snappers in Australia are caught using trap and line methods.