Scalefish

Economic contribution

To find out more about the Tasmanian Wild Fisheries Assessment, click here

Species commercially targeted

Where to buy Scalefish

Northern Tasmania
Kyeema Seafood
George Town Seafoods
Hursey Seafood
Peter & Una Seafoods

Eastern Tasmania
The Lobster Shack
The Horny Cray

Southern Tasmania
Mures
Tasmanian Gourmet Seafood
Wilson's Seafoods
Ashmore Foods Tasmania
Tasmanian Fresh Fish
Tasmanian Gourmet Seafoods

Often, fishers will unload at ports such as Dover, Margate and Nubeena and sell fresh fish off their boat. Follow the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council social media pages to find out when and where.

Sector organisation: Tasmanian Scale Fishers Association

HOw to scale and fillet a fish

To scale the fish lay the fish on a board and holding the fish by the head use a fish scaler to scrap all the scales off. If you don’t have a scaler simply use a chefs knife. With your knife at a 45 degree angle to the fish scrape all the scales off with your knife, this is a messy job best done at the jetty or outside!
To remove the guts from the fish through the stomach, make a shallow incision through the skin from the anus towards the gills.
remove the guts from the fish and discard
To remove the fillets from the fish first make an incision with a sharp soft knife under the gill to the backbone.
Continue cutting along the backbone towards the tail
This might be done in a few slices, flip the fish over and do the same to the other fillet.
To remove the skin from the fillet: hold the tale down and with a sharp filleting knife make an incision across the fish as close to the tail as you can through the flesh and to the skin, with a slicing motion but scraping the flesh from the skin so that the skin stays intact as much as possible

recipes

scalefish FUN facts

Some Tasmanian Scalefish species, such as orange roughy, can live for up to 100 years and are slow-growing, making them vulnerable to overfishing. As a result, there are strict regulations in place to protect these species and ensure their long-term sustainability.

The Tasmanian Scalefish fishery is managed by the Tasmanian Government, which has put in place a number of measures to ensure the sustainability of the fishery, such as quotas, size limits, and seasonal closures.

Female octopuses are known for their dedication to their offspring. They lay their eggs in a safe place and will spend several months guarding and caring for them until they hatch.

Southern calamari are capable of changing the color and texture of their skin to blend in with their surroundings, making them difficult for predators to detect. They have a unique method of locomotion called jet propulsion, which involves forcefully expelling water through a funnel-like structure to move forward quickly. Southern calamari are cannibalistic and will eat other squid if food is scarce

Blue-eye trevalla are found in waters up to 1350 meters deep off the coast of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. They are a long-lived species, with some individuals living for up to 50 years. Blue-eye trevalla have large eyes that are adapted to low-light conditions in the deep-sea environment.

how to prepare squid

Clean the squid: Rinse the squid under cold running water and remove the head, tentacles, and internal organs. Cut off the tentacles just below the eyes and discard the rest of the head and internal organs. Rinse the tentacles thoroughly and remove the beak (the hard, dark part at the center of the tentacles).
Remove the skin: Peel off the thin, transparent skin covering the body of the squid. You can use a paper towel or your fingers to grip the skin and pull it off.
Rinse again: Rinse the squid thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Cut the squid: Cut the squid into rings or strips, as desired. To make rings, cut the squid crosswise into rings about 1/2 inch thick. To make strips, cut the squid lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch wide.
Cook the squid: Squid can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as grilling, frying, sautéing, or boiling. It cooks quickly, so be sure not to overcook it, or it will become tough and rubbery.
Season the squid: Once cooked, season the squid with salt and pepper, lemon juice, garlic, or any other seasoning you prefer. Serve immediately as an appetizer or as part of a main course.