Flathead

Flathead

Rating

Standard Names

Tiger Flathead, Dusky Flathead, Rock Flathead, Deepwater Flathead, Southern Sand Flathead, Bluespotted Flathead

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There are approximately 40 species of Flathead caught in Australia. These are generally sold together under the generic name of 'Flathead', though increasingly species such as Tiger Flathead and Rock Flathead are being marketed individually. The various species are available year round from fisheries around the country. They are caught by different methods, including trawl, gillnets, danish seine and handline. Each of these methods will have a different impact on the environment and other species. Further information about Government stock assessments and the Australian Flathead Fisheries is available using the following links:
- Tiger Flathead - Dusky Flathead - Deepwater Flathead - Southern Sand Flathead - Bluespotted Flathead

		Government Stock Assessment
		Overfishing	Biomass	AMCS Listing	Accreditations
Tiger flathead	Southern Australia (incl. C’wealth, Vic, NSW, Tas)	Sustainable		Eat Less	–
Deepwater flatheads	Commonwealth (Southern Coast)	Sustainable		Eat Less	–
Rock flathead	Victoria	Not Assessed		Not Assessed	SASAP Certified Sustainable
Dusky Flathead	NSW	Sustainable		Better Choice	–
	Vic	Undefined		Better Choice	–
	Queensland	Sustainable		Eat Less	–
Bluespotted (Sand) Flathead	NSW	Sustainable		Not Assessed	–
Southern Sand Flathead	SA, WA	Negligible Catch		Not Assessed	–
	Tasmania	Depleting		Not Assessed	–
	Victoria	Sustainable (Port Phillip Bay ‘Recovering’)		Not Assessed	–
	What do these terms mean?

The why and how of sustainability

According to all government assessments, the main flathead species are all fished at a sustainable level. AMCS lists uncertainty over stock sizes and biology, and bycatch as the main areas of concern. These issues will clearly vary from fishery to fishery, but there is less uncertainty around the larger stocks such as tiger flathead, which is currently experiencing the highest catch rates in its 99 year history. Bycatch in the tiger and deepwater flatheads will be similar to other species in the South East Trawl. Bluespotted flathead is caught by inshore and prawn trawl of the east coast which can experience high discard rates, however these are being progressively reduced. Dusky and rock flathead are caught in estuaries with gill, haul and seine nets. The SASAP certification of the rock flathead in Victoria is an indication that estuarine fisheries can experience low bycatch.
Overall, flatheads seem in relatively good shape with all sustainability issues being addressed by government and industry. How much do you trust them to do the right thing? Whatever your view is, we need to ensure that managers and industry are precautionary and continue to improve their practices around issues of scientific uncertainty and bycatch.

Preparation and cooking

FLATHEAD is a very popular and versatile fish, suited to most cooking methods. The flesh of larger fish can be slightly dry and coarse though avoiding over-cooking by using gentle cooking methods should prevent this. A very popular fish for battering and deepfryng.

Whole fish can be roasted or BBQ’d, while fillets can be marinated, poached, steamed, grilled or fried.

Very fresh specimens can be eaten raw or marinated in a ‘ceviche’ style. Prepared this way it has a clean, fresh flavour and firm texture.