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King George Whiting

Sillaginodes punctatus

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Happy Fish®
Journey & Timeline

Days

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Story of the fish

King George Whiting Habits

most prized of all whiting

King George Whiting Harvest

minimal bycatch

King George Whiting 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

King George Whiting
Sillaginodes punctatus

Producer: Neville Clarke

Assessed by the Sustainable Australian Seafood Assessment Limited (SASAL)

Fin

King George Whiting Habits

King George Whiting live in bays, estuaries and coastal waters over seagrass, macroalgae or sand, in depths down to 200 m. Juveniles cluster in seagrass beds, while adults head for deeper channels, gutters and offshore areas — though they’ll still slip into the shallows to feed on a high tide at night.

King George Whiting is the largest and most prized of all whiting species. It can live up to 15 years and grow as large as 70 cm, though most average closer to 35 cm.

They spawn from April to June in deep offshore waters. Ocean currents carry the fertilised eggs and larvae into warmer, sheltered bays and estuaries, where they spend their first 2–3 years growing to around 28 cm. By age 3–4, they’re mature and are ready to begin their journey back out to deeper waters.

King George Whiting 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

King George Whiting 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!