although the sand whiting ranges down to victoria and tasmania, the species is not common enough to make up a significant part of their fisheries, with other sillaginids such as school whiting and stout whiting making up the bulk of the catch. in new south wales and queensland, however, it is one of the most common species taken, especially in lower queensland. the species is often not differentiated from golden-lined whiting or trumpeter whiting, meaning fisheries statistics do not reflect the total catch for the species. in 2000, 238 tonnes of whiting were taken in queensland, a decrease from the past 4 years. the species is primarily taken in estuaries in new south wales, and is also included under the general heading of 'school whiting' when taken from beaches. research showed that the average commercial harvest from individual estuaries was around 1-2 tonnes per year, with an increase in most rivers during the 1970s and 80's.