Eastern School Whiting have been managed by catch quotas in Commonwealth fisheries since 1993. A Commonwealth Tier 1 stock assessment is completed every 3–5 years to estimate the recommended biological catch (RBC) for the entire biological stock. Historically, the estimated discards and average state catches were then subtracted from the RBC to set the Commonwealth total allowable catch (TAC). The most recent stock assessment in 2017, calculated an RBC of 1,606 t and the 2019–20 Commonwealth TAC was set at 788 t. A new TAC for Eastern School Whiting and Stout Whiting was introduced in NSW state waters from May 2019 (set at 1,189 t for the 2019–20 fishing year). While some of this catch is likely to comprise Stout Whiting, the combined total of the two independently determined TACs could permit total catches of Eastern School Whiting that exceed the current RBC for the shared stock. A review of the existing cross-jurisdictional stock assessment and management arrangements for this species is urgently needed to ensure sustainable fishing continues to occur. However, critical information gaps are hindering this process include the uncertain stock structure of Eastern School Whiting, mixed species composition of whiting in northern NSW and the representativeness of biological parameters currently used in the joint stock assessment.

This project aims to clarify the stock structure of Eastern School Whiting in south-eastern Australian waters, investigate the spatial and temporal variation in the main biological parameters across the species’ distribution, and improve the quality of state catch data used in stock assessments by investigating the species composition of mixed trawl whiting catches in northern NSW.