Red snapper inhabit Australian waters between Shark Bay and Brisbane (Ref. 6390).

Stock structure: It is believed that there is probably a unit stock for red snapper species in northern Australian waters (Ref. 6390). More studies are needed to verify this.

Commercial fishery: In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, red snapper are caught by demersal and semi-pelagic otter trawls, traps, droplines, and deepwaters handlines (Western Australia). In Queensland, they are also longlined. The fisheries operate all year. Red snapper are more commonly caught by trawling in northern waters.

Sea perch (mainly 'redfish') were a dominant group of fishes in Thai and Taiwanese trawler catches in the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea, comprising up to 30% of the total catch; and between 1985 and 1987 on the North West Shelf, sea perch were the third most important fish group taken by demersal foreign trawling. The highest catches of 'redfish' per unit of effort by the foreign fleets in the period 1980-90 were achieved in the Arafura Sea and retained catches of 'redfish' per unit of effort by Taiwanese (and some Thai) trawlers of 100-150 kg/hour were common in the Timor Sea and higher in the Arafura Sea. The 'redfish' catch was dominated by saddle-tail snapper (70% by weight) and red snapper (24% by weight). Catches in the Timor Sea had a large component of red snapper (up to 670 t per year),and this species was also a major component of the Arafura catch (up to 3370 t per year) (Ref. 27275), where saddle-tail snapper is the dominant species taken.

Red snapper are an incidental catch by the domestic Northern Fish Trawl Fishery which as of 1993, operated in depths of 30-70 m offshore from prawn grounds in the Arafura Sea only, with vessels based at Gove and Karumba. Juvenile red snapper are also a bycatch of the Northern Prawn Fishery.

'Redfish' on the Great Barrier Reef are targeted primarily at night. Handlines, large, deck-mounted, hand-operated reels and bottom set longlines are used, and baits include squid, oily fish and lower quality reef fish (Ref. 27262).

There was an increase as of 1993, in the red snapper catch in Queensland.

Red snapper are also targeted in the Western Australian Trap and Line Fishery, though not in very large quantities.

Sea perch as a whole are marketed either gilled and gutted, whole or as fillets, as fresh chilled or frozen product. Northern Territory and Queensland sea perch are marketed locally (eg in Darwin, and on the Reef island and tourist resorts) and in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Recreational fishery: In Western Australia, the recreational fishery extends from the Houtman Abrolhos to Broome.

Recreational fishing on the Great Barrier Reef is carried out by small vessels (from 3 m long) working inshore reefs and larger charter vessels working the more remote outer reefs. Recreational landings of 'redfish' on the Great Barrier Reef are about the same as the commercial catch from the Reef.

The record size for sea perch in Australian waters is 17.6 kg, from Western Australia (Australian Anglers Association records).

Resource status: Lutjanids comprised 20-30% of the fish biomass in the mid-shelf area of the North West Shelf (115°30' and 118°30' E) during the 1960s and early 1970s (Ref. 28006). By 1983 however, they comprised less than 10% of the biomass following a period of intensive fishing by Taiwanese trawlers (Ref. 28006).

In 1990, Queensland fishers considered that the 'redfish' and emperor resources in the Reef Line Fishery were in decline (Ref. 27262). Generally, the decline was concentrated very close to the coast, away from major commercial fishing activity on the Great Barrier Reef coral reefs - except possibly for Cairns (Ref. 27260). The catch rates and the size of reef fish caught by the offshore charter boat fleet on the Reef since 1963 until 1992 have remained fairly stable (Ref. 27260).

Museum: LPPL JIF68 (TGT2258). From North West Cape to Darwin (Ref. 5978).