Spawning sources, movement patterns, and nursery area replenishment of spawning populations of King George Whiting in south-eastern Australia — closing the life history loop

This was a collaborative project amongst scientists from the University of Melbourne, Fisheries Victoria, Deakin University and the South Australian Research and Development Institute. The project led to major advances in our understanding of the biology and population structure of King George Whiting in southern Australia. The project was able to demonstrate that Whiting in the Victorian and South Australian fisheries come from different spawning areas, and that adult Whiting from Victoria do not migrate to the known Whiting spawning area in South Australia. The project also identified a previously unknown spawning area for King George Whiting in north-west Tasmania. King George Whiting in Tasmania (2 populations) and Western Australia were found to be genetically distinct from Whiting in Victoria and South Australia. The study, conducted over 4 years, was designed to determine whether single (State) jurisdictional management of the King George Whiting fishery was appropriate in relation to the population (stock) structure of the species. Innovative methods were used to determine population structure including otolith chemistry and advanced genetic analyses. The results support the current State (Jurisdictional) based management of the fisheries, however further work is recommended to completely clarify the relationship between the Victorian and South Australian King George Whiting populations.