In 2002, RBY 1 was included in the AMP on the basis that the stock has been lightly fished it seems likely that the stock is above B_MSY. Based on the low catches through to  2004–05 - RBY 1 was likely to remain near the unexploited level at that time.

Catch sampling between 1998–99 and 2000–01 indicated that the fishery is comprised of a large number of age classes with a reasonable proportion of the catch coming from fish of greater than 50 years old. Although relatively high catches were made prior to this period there is no obvious truncation of the age distribution that would occur under high and unsustainable levels of fishing mortality.

70% of the RBY catch is landed in QMA 2, and given the short history of this fishery, it is not known whether the level of recent commercial catches in this QMA is sustainable in the short-term, and whether the decline in landings represents regional or localised depletion, or a decline in directed fishing effort. It is not known whether the recent commercial catches from QMA 2 are sustainable in the long-term, or at a level that will allow the stock to move towards a size that will support the maximum sustainable yield.

For most other areas it is not known if recent catches are sustainable or will allow the stocks to move towards the size that will support the maximum sustainable yield. Commercial concentrations of rubyfish probably also exist in areas that have not been fished.