Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson.

The largest mackerel found on the Reef, the Spanish mackerel is a species prized by Queensland commercial line fishers.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Fishnote on Spanish mackerel

Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004 with permission from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Spanish mackerel in Queensland are caught both within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and to its east and south, with the majority of catch coming from the Northern region of the Great Barrier Reef. Under the new Spanish Mackerel Management Plan, for 2004 the total commercial catch of Spanish mackerel is limited to 619.5 tonnes, approximately equivalent to 2001 catch levels.

There have been recent ecological and stock assessments of the Spanish mackerel fishery.

The 2002 Department of Primary Industries and Fihseries (DPI&F) Preliminary Assessment of the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery concluded that fishing effort should not be increased above 2002 levels and a precautionary approach would suggest that effort be reduced. This information was considered in the restructuring of the Spanish mackerel fishery that took place in 2003.

The 2004 DPI&F Ecological assessment of the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery says that catch levels in the East coast Spanish mackerel fishery do maintain ecologically viable Spanish mackerel stocks. The fishery has a limited take of non-target species and limited impacts to endangered, threatened and protected species, and therefore has only a minimal impact on the marine ecosystem. The potential for any significant impacts is restricted by the low association of other species with Spanish mackerel, the relatively benign nature of the fishing gear, and the highly selective fishing methods used.

Tonnes: 653
Boats: 431
Primary boat days: 12,343
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004 with permission from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

$5.2 m
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004 with permission from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

About 390 tonnes of Spanish mackerel were caught by recreational fishers in 1999, according to surveys by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries RFISH.

Most effort is in the northern and central parts of the Great Barrier Reef, with the highest catch off the coast of Townsville.

Both commercial and recreational fishers use troll or drift lines.

The management of the east coast Spanish mackerel fishery has been assessed by the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) . DEH found that the fishery was 'relatively well managed' but identified several risks that need to be managed including: uncertainty in stock assessments; lack of ongoing robust stock assessment process; lack of ongoing validation of commercial and recreational effort data; lack of performance indicators and measures; inadequate reporting on the status of the fishery; and paucity of information about recreational take.

The Spanish mackerel fishery is regulated under Queensland’s Fisheries Regulations 1995.

Size (commercial and recreational): A minimum size of 75cm applies to Spanish mackerel.

Take and possession limit: Recreational fishers (and commercial fishers who do not operate under a commercial ‘SM’ licence from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) are limited to three Spanish mackerel.

Recreational fishers must remove the pectoral fin of any dead Spanish mackerel on their boat. They must not remove the skin from a fish on a boat until the fish is brought to shore; bring a fish ashore and remove its skin and return the fish to the boat; or divide a fish into portions other than in a way that allows an inspector to easily count the number of fish possessed by the fisher.

Commercial catch: The total allowable catch for Spanish mackerel is capped at 619.5 tonnes from 2004. Fishers who operate under a commercial ‘SM’ licence from DPI&F are issued a quota approximately equal to their average catch taken between 1998 and 2002.

Area: Coral trout can be taken from tidal waters except in no-take zones as specified by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and waters closed to fishing by DPI&F.

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) monitors the population of Spanish Mackerel along the east coast of Queensland as part of its long-term monitoring program.

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) are funding a DPI&F project to investigate genetic mark-recapture techniques for real-time harvest rate monitoring of Spanish mackerel.

DEH. 2004. Assessment of the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery. Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra, Australia.

Ryan S. 2004. Ecological assessment of the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery. Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Tobin A, Mapleston A. 2004. Exploitation dynamics and biological characteristics of the Queensland east coast Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) fishery. CRC Reef Technical Report No. 51.

Welch D, Hoyle S, McPherson G, Gribble N. 2002. Preliminary Assessment of the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery. Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Williams LE. (ed). 2002. Queensland's Fisheries Resources. Current condition and trends 1988-2000. Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Brisbane.