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Spotted Mackerel (2020)

Scomberomorus munroi

  • Alice Pidd (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland)
  • John Stewart (Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales)
  • Paul Lewis (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia)
  • Grant Johnson (Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Northern Territory)
  • Lenore Litherland (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland)

Date Published: June 2021

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Summary

Spotted Mackerel occurs in two stocks. Stock status is sustainable on the continental shelf waters along Australia's eastern coast. Stock status is negligible across the northern and western coast.

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Stock Status Overview

Stock status determination
Jurisdiction Stock Stock status Indicators
Western Australia Northern Australia Negligible Catch, effort, current and historical fishing pressure 
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Stock Structure

Spotted Mackerel occurs in continental shelf waters along Australia's western, northern and eastern coast between the Abrolhos Islands region to central New South Wales [Begg et al. 1998a, Cameron and Begg 2002]. In eastern Australian waters, Spotted Mackerel comprise a single stock (confirmed through genetic analysis, otolith microchemistry and tagging studies) that is genetically isolated from fish in the northern Arafura Sea [Begg et al. 1998a,b, Cameron and Begg 2002]. In northern and western Australian waters the delineation of stocks is less clear. Results from an otolith microchemistry study suggest that fish from Gove and Joseph Bonaparte Gulf may belong to separate stocks [Cameron and Begg 2002] although the biological stock boundaries are unknown. Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the biological stock level—Eastern Australia; and the management unit—Northern Australia.

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Stock Status

Northern Australia

Spotted Mackerel is broadly distributed across northern Australia, with components occurring in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland [Begg et al. 1998a, Cameron and Begg 2002]. Stock status for the Northern Australia management unit is reported as Negligible due to historically low catches and the stock has not been subject to targeted fishing [West et al. 2012, Webley et al. 2015, Teixeira et al. 2021, QFISH 2020].

Spotted Mackerel is not a major component of the commercial or recreational landings in any jurisdiction within the Northern Australia management units. In Western Australia, only the Mackerel Managed Fishery is licensed to land mackerel species and in 2019 the reported commercial catch of Spotted Mackerel was less than 10 kg. The Western Australian Mackerel Managed Fishery predominantly targets Spanish Mackerel with gear, and in locations, not conducive to catching Spotted Mackerel. The species is not a major component of the recreational landings, estimated at 273 fish (+/- 84 se) in the 2017–18 boat based survey [Ryan et al. 2019] and the 2019 WA Charter catch was 61 kg. In the Northern Territory the recreational catch is < 2 t [West et al. 2012] and the commercial catch has averaged 326 kg over the last 10 years with a maximum harvest of 1,276kg in 2016. In Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria waters recreational and commercial catches are limited, with negligible commercial net and line harvests. There is a recreational possession limit of five Spotted Mackerel in both Northern Territory and Queensland waters. Fishing is unlikely to be having a negative impact on the stock.

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Biology

Spotted Mackerel biology [Begg et al. 1998a, Cameron and Begg 2002, Begg et al. 2005, QDAF 2018]

Biology
Species Longevity / Maximum Size Maturity (50 per cent)
Spotted Mackerel

10 years, 1 230 mm TL 

Females 1–2 years, 600 mm TL Males 1–2 years, 520 mm TL
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Distributions

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Spotted Mackerel

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Tables

Fishing methods
Western Australia
Commercial
Trolling
Charter
Hook and Line
Catch
Western Australia
Charter < 0.5 t
Recreational Insufficient data

Queensland – recreational (catch) Estimated from Teixeira et al. 2021 (31 219 fish retained by Queensland residents) and average weight of 2.6 kg.

Queensland – Indigenous (management methods) for more information see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch) Murphy et al. [2020].

New South Wales – Indigenous (management methods) (https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aboriginal-fishing).

Western Australia – Recreational (Catch) Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2017/18 [Ryan et al. 2019]. Shore- based catch (if any) largely unknown.

Western Australia – Recreational (Management methods) Boat-based recreational fishing licence required.

Western Australia – Charter (Catch) The charter catch is an estimate based on numbers of fish caught multiplied by an average weight.

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Catch Chart

Commercial catch of Spotted Mackerel - note confidential catch not shown

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References

  1. Begg, G, Keenan, C and Sellin, M 1998, Genetic variation and stock structure of school mackerel and spotted mackerel in northern Australian waters, Journal of Fish Biology, 53: 543–559.
  2. Begg, GA 1998, 'Reproductive biology of school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus) and spotted mackerel (S. munroi) in Queensland east-coast waters', Marine and Freshwater Research, 49(3): 261–270.
  3. Begg, GA and Sellin, MJ 1998, 'Age and growth of school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus) and spotted mackerel (S. munroi) in Queensland east-coast waters with implications for stock structure', Marine and Freshwater Research, 49(2): 109–120.
  4. Begg, GA, Cappo, M, Cameron, DS, Boyle, S, and Sellin, MJ 1998, 'Stock discrimination of school mackerel, Scomberomorus queenslandicus, and spotted mackerel, Scomberomorus munroi, in coastal waters of eastern Australia by analysis of minor and trace elements in whole otoliths', Fishery Bulletin, 96(4): 653–666.
  5. Begg, GA, O'Neill, MF, Cadrin, SX and Bergenius, MAJ 2005, Stock Assessment of the Australian East Coast Spotted Mackerel Fishery, CRC Reef Research Centre, Townsville.
  6. Bessell-Browne, P, O’Neill, MF, and Litherland, L 2018, Stock assessment of the Australian east coast spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi) fishery (2018). Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government. Brisbane, Queensland.
  7. Bessell-Browne, P., Lovett, R., Leigh, G., O’Neill, M. F. & Campbell, A. (2019). Stock assessment of the Australian east coast grey mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatus) fishery (2019). Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government. Brisbane, Queensland.
  8. Cameron, D and Begg, G 2002, Fisheries biology and interaction in the northern Australian small mackerel fishery. Final report to Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Projects 92/144 and 92/144.02, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland.
  9. Litherland, L, Johnson, G, Stewart, J, Lewis, P, 2018, Spotted Mackerel, Scomberomorus munroi, in Carolyn Stewardson, James Andrews, Crispian Ashby, Malcolm Haddon, Klaas Hartmann, Patrick Hone, Peter Horvat, Stephen Mayfield, Anthony Roelofs, Keith Sainsbury, Thor Saunders, John Stewart, Simon Nicol and Brent Wise (eds) 2018, Status of Australian fish stocks reports 2018, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.
  10. Murphy, JJ, Ochwada-Doyle, FA, West, LD, Stark, KE and Hughes, JM 2020, The NSW Recreational Fisheries Monitoring Program - survey of recreational fishing, 2017/18. NSW DPI - Fisheries Final Report Series No. 158.
  11. O’Neill MF, Langstreth J, Buckley SM, Stewart J 2018 Stock assessment of Australian east coast Spanish mackerel: Predictions of stock status and reference points. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland 103 pp.
  12. QFish, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, www.qfish.gov.au
  13. Ryan, KL, Hall, NG, Lai, EK, Smallwood, CB, Tate, A, Taylor, SM, Wise, BS 2019, State-wide survey of boat based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2017/18, Fisheries Research Report 297, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.
  14. Stewart, J, Hegarty, A, Young, C, Fowler, AM and Craig, J 2015, Status of Fisheries Resources in NSW 2013–14, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Mosman.
  15. Taylor, S, Webley, J and McInnes, K 2012, 2010 statewide recreational fishing survey, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Brisbane, Australia.
  16. Teixeira, D, Janes, R, and Webley, J 2021, 2019–20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey Key Results. Project Report. State of Queensland, Brisbane.
  17. Webley, J, McInnes, K, Teixeira, D, Lawson, A and Quinn, R 2015, Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey 2013–14. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland.
  18. West, LD, Lyle, JM, Matthews, SR, Stark, KE and Steffe, AS 2012, Survey of Recreational Fishing in the   Northern Territory, 2009-­10, Fishery Report 109, Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Darwin.
  19. West, LD, Stark, KE, Murphy, JJ, Lyle JM and Doyle, FA 2015, Survey of recreational fishing in New South Wales and the ACT, 2013/14. Fisheries Final Report Series No. 149. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongong.

Downloadable reports

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