Snapper Recovery Package

The Snapper Recovery Package supports those affected by the extended closure of the Spencer Gulf, West Coast and Gulf St Vincent Snapper stocks until 30 June 2026.

The State Government will deliver $8.8 million in funding initiatives over 3 years, including:

• $5 million for the Snapper Science Program which is co-funded by the South Australian Government and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
• $2.4 million to support impacted fishers
• $1.2 million to support the continuation of the Snapper Restocking Program
• $200,000 for reef restoration projects.

Background

Over the past decade, there have been significant declines in the productivity and stock statuses of Snapper fisheries throughout Australia. One example of this is the progressive decline in annual commercial catches of Snapper from each mainland state between 2011–12 to 2020–21.

There are 3 recognised stocks of Snapper in South Australia:

• Spencer Gulf, West Coast stock
• Gulf St Vincent stock
• Western Victoria stock.

Over the past 2 decades, these stocks have demonstrated very different trends in biomass and fishery catches. The change primarily related to 2 processes:

• recruitment – the number of juvenile Snapper that enter the population each year
• exploitation – the number of fish that are removed from the population.

Spencer Gulf, West Coast stock

Historically, the Spencer Gulf, West Coast stock has provided the highest contribution to the state's catches and supported the most productive regional fishery in Australia.

The biomass of Snapper stock for this area declined considerably from 2006 and has remained at record low levels since 2012. This reflected an extended period of poor recruitment and continued exploitation of the population.

The biomass decline resulted in the Spencer Gulf, West Coast stock being classified as depleting in 2012, which was further downgraded to depleted in 2018.

Gulf St Vincent stock

The Gulf St Vincent stock followed a much different trend. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the biomass of Snapper stock in the area was comparatively quite low. It then progressively increased during the 2000s and early 2010s due to multiple recruitment events in the 1990s and 2000s.

In response, catches from Gulf St Vincent increased exponentially from 2006 and remained at record high levels from 2010 to 2015, before also declining considerably.

The decline prompted a change in stock status to depleted and resulted in the implementation of fishery closures from 1 November 2019.