The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has reported a solid season of fishing for gummy shark, with a 14 percent increase in catch compared to 2015.
The gummy shark, or flake, is commonly used for fish and chips in Australia. More than 1,500 metric tonnes of gummy shark was harvested in Australia’s Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery in 2013, according to the Australian government.
“This [year’s] improved catch shows gummy shark stocks are in good shape and strict catch limits continue to be set at a sustainable level,” AFMA CEO James Findlay said in a press release.
Fishermen netted more than 90 percent of the total allowable catch for gummy shark in 2016, the authority said in a press release. According to the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences, the country’s gummy shark catch has been listed as sustainable since 1994.
“Catch limits for a wide range of delicious seafood are set by the independent AFMA Commission using the best available science,” Findlay said. “This means Australian seafood lovers can be confident knowing when their flake and chips or other seafood hits the plate they are eating a sustainable catch and supporting Australian industry and coastal communities.”
