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Corner Inlet Rock Flathead

Platycephalus laevigatus

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Happy Fish®
Journey & Timeline

Days

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Story of the fish

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Habits

change colour to blend in

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Harvest

seine nets are used

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Handling

iced immediately

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Story of the fisher-farmer

Neville Clarke

No habitat no fishing. I just want to leave a sustainable fishery behind.

Neville is a third-generation fisher whose catch was SASAL assessed.

His family fished Corner Inlet in Victoria for 120 years -hard, unpredictable work, but Neville wouldn’t have traded it, reckoning he had the best office in the world.

A true custodian fisher, Neville remains deeply invested in the health of Corner Inlet. “Recently we succeeded in having our own Voluntary Code of Sustainable Practice made law,” he says- a code that limits fishing effort to just 6–8 hours a day. He’s also played an active role in a seagrass regeneration project, restoring habitat vital to a healthy ecosystem-and has been one of the biggest figures responsible for making the Corner Inlet a role model commercial fisher driven environmental initiatives and safeguards.

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Story of the country

gunaikurnai, bunurong and boon wurrung country
corner inlet

Corner Inlet is a marine park at Australia’s southern-most point, fed by the clean, nutrient-rich waters of Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. A maze of seagrass-carpeted islands and channels, ringed by national parks and dairy farms, it’s one of Australia’s most pristine, industry-free estuaries and home to one of Victoria’s oldest professional fisheries.

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Sustainability assessment criteria

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead
Platycephalus laevigatus

Producer: Neville Clarke

Assessed by the Sustainable Australian Seafood Assessment Limited (SASAL)

Fin

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Habits

Rock Flathead is the most prized of the 40 or so flathead species in Australia, and is only found in the southern regions of Australia. Happy Fish Rock Flathead is wild caught in Corner Inlet, South Gippsland Victoria. This is one of the most pristine industry-free estuaries in Victoria, surrounded by national parks and dairy farms. The Inlet is made up of a series of islands, channels, and banks which are mostly covered by seagrass.

Flathead are famous for one thing: their flat heads! Flathead, do not have swim bladders that keep other fish afloat. But their long flat form, eyes perched on top of their head and ability to change colour to match surrounds, makes them perfectly adapted to hide in the seabed like crocodiles; waiting for the currents to bring their supper

Typically they grow up to 60 cm and 2 kg.

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Harvest

Local fishers introduced a voluntary code of conduct, which was later made law. Gear restrictions, limited fishing times, size limits and compulsory catch reporting have helped local flora and fauna thrive. Fishers also use modified nets and haul methods that minimise bycatch, protecting other species and the health of the wider ecosystem. The fishers are careful of all the fish caught, releasing juveniles and unwanted species in the best possible condition so they can swim away unharmed.

As a general rule, environmental impacts of harvest methods is largely about how the equipment is used as much as what equipment is used

Corner Inlet Rock Flathead Handling

Harvested with care and iced immediately ensures the Rock Flathead is rendered unconscious in seconds, minimising any suffering. Being kind to the fishies reduces stress and lactic acid, and maintains glucose in the flesh. This enhances the taste, texture, tenderness and shelf life!