Species
- Black jewfish (Protonibea diacanthus)
Fish stock status
Although a species may be classified as sustainable under the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) framework, this does not mean that the stock is meeting Queensland targets under the harvest strategy.
| Stock | 2023 | 2020 | 2018 | 2016 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland East Coast | Sustainable | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined |
| Gulf of Carpentaria | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined |
Stock assessment
The 2022 stock assessment used current biological data provided through a FRDC funded research project, as well as commercial and recreational catch data to:
- determine the sustainability of the stock
- understand how recent change in fishing pressure may have impacted the stock
- inform long-term sustainable catch levels
- inform management decisions through the existing east coast inshore fishery harvest strategy.
The assessment that the black jewfish stock was between 56% and 99% of unfished levels, and most probably at around 79%.
Despite high uncertainty around the exact level of biomass, the model outputs provide confidence that the biomass is at or above the target reference point of 60% unfished biomass.
The assessment used Stock Synthesis, a modelling framework that was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States).
Biomass estimates and key management actions
Ecological risk assessment
- east coast inshore fishery
- Gulf of Carpentaria inshore fishery.
Management
East coast inshore fishery:
Last updated: 18 Jun 2026