More whiting biting

There is good news for those who've experienced below-average whiting catches in recent years. Predictions of bumper fishing have been forecast based on annual surveys of the abundance of small juvenile (less than 3cm) whiting in seagrass beds around the bay.

Fisheries Victoria is collaborating with the University of Melbourne, Deakin University and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, as part of a four-year project investigating the links between whiting spawning in South Australia and larvae supply to Victorian bays.

This type of collaboration is critical to better understanding the life cycle of whiting and to support sustainable fishing opportunities.

According to the researchers, King George whiting spawn during winter in coastal waters, most likely off far western Victoria and South Australia. The larvae then drift eastward for about three months before entering the bay and other sheltered estuaries in spring, where they take two to three years to reach legal size. At about four years of age, they leave the bay to complete their life in coastal waters.

Because whiting are only available to the bay fishery for a few years of their life, the fishery is prone to annual fluctuations. Regular monitoring is important to forecast how the fishery will perform over the coming three to four years.

Average numbers of small juvenile whiting were found in 2011 and 2012, but in 2013 scientists measured the third highest numbers since surveys began in 1998.

The juvenile whiting detected in 2011 will start to become available to fishers this year, and those from the 2013 survey in 2017.

Further research investment in King George whiting by the FRDC, with help from Victorian recreational fishing licence fees, will improve understanding of whiting biology for improved management of the fishery.