The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has reminded in its GoodFish sustainable seafood guide that much of Queensland's iconic seafood remains unsustainable and has been red-listed, following new assessments.
AMCS has recommended avoiding popular seafood items like wild-caught barramundi, Spanish mackerel, and prawns. Because of overfished stocks or the dangers to marine wildlife. The latter, posed by the fishing methods used to catch them and a history of under-reporting.
Regarding this, AMCS' Queensland fisheries expert Simon Miller warned: "These fisheries must urgently implement independent scrutiny of the accidental catch of protected species, known as bycatch. There are massive discrepancies between the fisheries logbooks and what is happening at sea."
Moreover, Miller highlighted the absence of the Queensland government. When monitoring and minimizing the impact of the state's fisheries on threatened and endangered species. Also, when implementing best-practice fisheries management.
On the other side, assessors have listed as "green" most of the Reef Line Fishery's target catch, including coral trout. In addition, the guide has considered new sustainable seafood options caught from Great Barrier Reef waters as spangled emperor, hussar, and stripey snapper.
Miller recalled that fisheries should be looking to the Reef Line Fishery for "inspiration" when it came to reforms. Further, listen to seafood lovers in the state, who are demanding the best sustainable practices from fishers and fisheries management.
"Recent best-practice management reforms such as a broader range of scientific stock assessments, implementing a robust harvest strategy and vessel monitoring systems deserve our praise for both industry and Government," he added.
Finally, he assured they will support Queensland fisheries when they commit "to truly sustainable reform too. And once they have delivered the results and presented their production to the dozens of Queensland businesses and venues. Those which have committed to no longer serving or selling 'red listed' unsustainable seafood as part of our GoodFish program."