Science and the Queensland Spanish Mackerel fishery

According to Fishnet Public (a Queensland Department of Agriculture site) and 2 weeks into the Spanish Mackerel (SM) season, over 7.9 tonnes of SM have been harvested by commercial fishers. Over a tonne was unloaded in north Queensland to a seafood retailer. Not bad for a fishery about to be decimated by a government that should not be trusting the science it has been given. It is disgraceful science that is driving even more questionable fisheries mismanagement.

Today's podcast features a discussion with Geoff McPherson (marine fisheries acoustic consultant and Adjunct Principal Research Fellow at James Cook University) and Richard Gilmore (SM commercial fisher and commercial fishing representative on the State Government SM working group).