Commercial fishery: The largest fishery for southern sea garfish is in Gulf St. Vincent and Spencer Gulf (300-400 t a year from the gulfs), and around Kangaroo Island off South Australia (Ref. 27017). Other significant fisheries exist along the Victorian coast (mainly Port Phillip Bay, also Western Port and Corner Inlet) and Flinders Island and eastern Tasmania. There is a small fishery for southern sea garfish in the estuaries of south-western Australia.

The garfish catch in Victorian waters consists of a mixture of southern sea garfish and river garfish, Hyporhamphus regularis. Southern sea garfish comprise most of the garfish catch from the more marine bays and inlets (eg Port Phillip Bay, where the average annual catch is around 82 t)(Ref. 26431), and river garfish are dominant in brackish inlets and estuaries (eg the Gippsland Lakes).

In South Australia, southern sea garfish are caught between November and June in Spencer Gulf and between March and July in Gulf St. Vincent. There are large monthly fluctuations in catch rates (Ref. 27017). Most southern sea garfish catches in Port Phillip Bay are taken in late summer.

Southern sea garfish are marketed fresh chilled, either whole or as butterfly fillets. They are also used as bait by recreational anglers; and small quantities are sold for 'sashimi' (raw fish) through the Sydney Fish Market.

Recreational fishery: Southern sea garfish is a popular target fish for recreational anglers, especially during summer and early autumn (Ref. 27013). They are caught with handlines from shore, boats and jetties, with bait nets in Western Australia and Queensland and dab nets in South Australia. Southern sea garfish are the second most commonly angled fish after flathead (Platycephalidae) in Port Phillip Bay, especially over the summer months (Ref. 27018).

Resource status: As of 1993, the status of sea garfish resources was unknown in most States. In South Australia, there was evidence that excessive effort in the winter fishery for southern sea garfish in Gulf St. Vincent had adversely affected the summer fishery. The effect of seagrass bed degradation throughout the species' ranges could affect the resource status, as it appears to have affected garfish numbers in parts of Port Phillip Bay. Also Ref. 2156, 7300.