After southern bluefin tuna, King George whiting is the most important fish species in South Australia. This species attracts a high market price on local and interstate markets and has biological attributes which suggest that is has good potential as a candidate for aquaculture. To allow commercialisation of this species, there is an immediate need to commence research to control egg production and conduct larval rearing trials to expose and solve culture problems so that a valid assessment of this species can be provided to aquaculturalists and investors.

FRDC funded research on the reproductive biology of wild King George whiting has identified a need to determine the spawning frequency of individual fish to get accurate estimates of fecundity.

There is a need to recognise that aquaculture is the only way to increase production of small volume coastal fisheries, such as that for King George whiting, without increasing fishing pressure on natural populations.

There is a need to develop aquaculture of coastal marine finfish species as an option which has potential to allow commercial fishers to diversify and reallocate effort to reduce pressure on wild stocks.