Fisheries biology and interaction in the northern Australian small mackerel fishery

Abstract

The small mackerels comprising school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus), spotted mackerel (S. munroi) and grey mackerel (S. semifasciatus) are important and valued species to recreational and commercial fishers in northern Australia. Prior to this project very little was known about the basic biology of, or fisheries for, small mackerels. Each species was found to exhibit distinct life history patterns with differing stock structures. Though there is some overlap between fisheries, there was much spatial and temporal separation of the fisheries, with gill net specialisation for each species targeted by the commercial fishery. Recreational hook and line fisheries for school mackerel and spotted mackerel were important with most of the grey mackerel harvest taken by the commercial sector.