Australian fishers are edging closer to sustainability, but a handful of wild stocks are still being damaged, according to a federal government report.
Of 93 fish stocks under Commonwealth control, 63 have been classified as "not overfished" in the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences report.
But six stocks, including eastern gemfish and school shark, are in trouble, and too little is known about others to judge their health.
Commonwealth fisheries had a gross annual value of AUD 308.2 million in 2011-12. In recent years bureau reports have shown a gradual improvement in fisheries management. The parliamentary secretary for agriculture, Richard Colbeck, said the latest report was evidence that claims of overfishing and mismanagement were unwarranted.
"Australian fisheries are recognised as being among the best managed in the world," Senator Colbeck said.
However, the report pointed to the poor status of several species.
