Undersized Whiting For Sale - Is this allowed?

[Screamin Semen]

Hi Guys and Girls,

I went down to a popular discount meat and seafood store at Molendinar on the Gold Coast to check out the Tassie Salmon they had and came across these tubs with over 100 undersized 10 -13cm Whiting being sold for $3.99kg. :-?

I am aware that there is no size on the Winter Whiting but they looked like Summeries to me as they had no blotches etc

Is this allowed even as a Bycatch?

I was pretty horrified whether it is legal or not >:(

Cheers SS


101680


PS They were in very poor condition and stunk too btw :-?

[Moonlighter]

I don't think they are summer whiting.

But, if in doubt, report them to Fisheries and see what they say.

[lethal]

ive been told its legal, I asked the question on undersized reefies in a supermarket. caught as a by catch.

[rayken1938]

If its undersized its undersized no matter how caught.
Cheers
Ray

[Jono_SS]

They look like they might be Stout Whiting (Sillago robusta).

[ShaneC]

Undersized reefys can most definitely not be taken as bycatch, you'll probably find they were from interstate.

[rtp1984]

Size limits apply to state of capture. A legal fish from interstate that is illegal in QLD, is fine to be sold here. As long as there is a paper trail.

Just the the way it is.

Rob

[Triple]

So all the local caught undersize bream at capalaba seafood should be reported?

[bugman]

More than likely prawn trawler by-catch - stout whiting. They come from out in the deeper 80-100m line on the muddy/sandy bottom along the coast. No size limit applies.

Brett

[pipifin]

So, technically, if I throw away my receipt, I could be done for being in possession of undersize fish if I have bought interstate fish from a store?
..... having said that, I would rather eat "Black & Gold" fish fingers than buy fish from the supermarket.... that goes for 99% of the fish shops too.

[Zippidy]

So, technically, if I throw away my receipt, I could be done for being in possession of undersize fish if I have bought interstate fish from a store?
..... having said that, I would rather eat "Black & Gold" fish fingers than buy fish from the supermarket.... that goes for 99% of the fish shops too.

Why's that?

I'm not having a go, just curious :-)

It's funny, I spend all this time going fishing, yet I don't even really like eating fish...

[Noelm]

This comes up all the time, state size limits vary (as mentioned) farmed fish have different size limits, and the species needs to be identified, they are NOT Sand/Summer Whiting in that picture (Sillago ciliate)

[chris69]

Yes they are deep water whiteing or stout very pale and have a rainbow shine to them when alive and dont grow much bigger than what was seen for sale and the japs luv them.

[pipifin]

Why's that?

I'm not having a go, just curious :-)

It's funny, I spend all this time going fishing, yet I don't even really like eating fish...

I just always end up disappointed. If I spend $25+ a kilo on beef or any other meat, then I am getting a quality cut. $25 on a piece of fish, and the majority of the time you end up with a fillet that is aged longer than the beef. I don't recall the last time I BOUGHT fish and really enjoyed it.
I would have fish five nights a week if I could catch enough of it.... but unfortunately this is not the case.

[Screamin Semen]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Can you also explain how they sell undersized Bream and Flathead in the big seafood shops here on the Gold Coast? Are they another species too lol? I am interested to know because everytime I walk into one of them I have to really restrain from saying something.

SS

[samson]

That catch is the by catch off the Tasman star down illuka if it's the shop I'm thinking about they've just taken it over from the old owners who struggled do yourself a favour and try their prawns they have the best and consistently freshest anywhere on the coast at off the boat prices.

[mattooty]

The flathead would most likely be sand flathead or trawl flathead, caught in the same depths as the whiting shown in the pics above. (Red spot whiting or Gold Lined whiting).
The bream while looking small are more than likely just on the legal limit of 23cm in your state. I know in NSW when I measure a 25cm fish it looks tiny! Might just be the case that it looks smaller than it is.

[gruntahunta]

The flathead would most likely be sand flathead or trawl flathead, caught in the same depths as the whiting shown in the pics above. (Red spot whiting or Gold Lined whiting).
The bream while looking small are more than likely just on the legal limit of 23cm in your state. I know in NSW when I measure a 25cm fish it looks tiny! Might just be the case that it looks smaller than it is.


Hi Matt.....bream are now 25cm in Qld as well...