Conservation of Fish Species - Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) are one of our most popular beach fishing species, and are pursued by over 86,000 anglers every summer. About 70 per cent of this fishing occurs between Bunbury and Jurien Bay.

In recent years the average size of tailor caught along the beaches has declined, and tailor runs have become much less consistent. In addition, breeding size fish of between 1 and 2 kilos or larger, once fairly common along Perth's inshore reefs, are now rarely caught.

Tailor runs along the beaches generally start in November or December, as water conditions warm up, but late January and February are often peak fishing times.

Estuaries such as the Swan River near Perth, the Peel-Harvey Inlet near Mandurah, and the Leschenault Inlet are key nursery areas for juvenile tailor. These fish leave the estuaries towards the end of summer, and school along the beaches, moving offshore as the water temperatures cool down, in what is thought to be a pre-spawning migration.

Juvenile tailor probably move into the estuaries as tiny fish in early summer, and grow rapidly over the warm months. These tiny tailor may come from large fish spawning around Perth's outer reefs, or from as far away as the Abrolhos Islands, carried down in the warm waters of the Leeuwin Current.

Tailor are a voracious predator, and are easily caught by beach fishers. During a good run it is possible to catch a fish every cast. This makes for exciting fishing, but also makes tailor highly vulnerable to overfishing.

Tailor take between two and three years to reach spawning size at between 28 and 33cm, but may survive over 14 years to reach in excess of 8 kilos.

Marine scientists think that heavy recreational fishing, on both beaches and in estuaries, is taking most tailor in or before their first spawning year. Very few fish survive to become adults. Over the next two to three years we may see a further decline in tailor stocks to the point where they will become only an occasional capture - rather than a regular bag filler.

There are signs that this has already happened in the Perth Metropolitan area, and is happening now near Rockingham and on beaches further south.

All recreational fishers need to help protect our precious tailor stocks. Fishing with a strong conservation ethic is the only way future generations of West Australian anglers, will get to enjoy the memorable experience of tailor fishing.

Tailor lose quality, texture and flavour when frozen, but are delicious eaten fresh out of the water. The time when we can afford to catch dozens of fish more than we can eat ourselves and give them away to friends, neighbours and relatives is gone.

This summer help protect your fishing future - put back your tiddlers, stick to bag limits, and only take enough fish for your own or your family's personal consumption.

Conservation Guide

A Few Tailor Facts

• Location of spawning grounds off the Western Australian coast are unknown.
• Spawning probably takes place in spring.
• Tailor are serial spawners, ie they release eggs and milt on a number of occasions during the season.
• A large female can produce up to 1 million eggs.
• Juveniles first appear in estuaries when they are 35-45 mm in length.
• Tailor reach approximately 15 cm at the end of the first year.