Good weather leads to bountiful Spanish mackerel in Gulf of Carpentaria
Fishers have struggled through two consecutive years of natural disasters, reducing the numbers of the popular fish.
"It'll be a good one finally, particularly after a couple of years of floods in the Gulf," seafood retailer and commercial fisherman Andrew Tobin said.
The good news for consumers, Mr Tobin said, was that prices would be stable, making the fish an affordable choice for local seafood lovers.
"What you've been paying at the fish and chip shop or down at your local cafe or restaurant is unlikely to change much in the mackerel space," he said.
Trawling the waters off the outback epicentre of fishing, Karumba, 400 kilometres north of Mount Isa, Mr Tobin said the quality of the fish this year was also good.
"We operate in quite an isolated area, so the boats are very well equipped for looking after the fish really well," he said.
"Processed on board, snap frozen to lock in that beautiful freshness that comes with wild-caught mackerel."
Unlike on the east coast, Spanish mackerel fishers in the Gulf are not limited by catch quotas, but there are spawning closures that restrict when they can fish.
Queensland Seafood Industry Association president Allan Bobbermen said losing access to the fishery for two to three weeks at the peak of the season did impact profitability, but he remained optimistic about the current season.
"The evidence is there pointing towards an abundance of fish," he said.
While the east coast fishery was popular, Mr Bobbermen said this season many operators chose to go to the Gulf instead.
"We've had floods along the east coast of Queensland, unusual rainfalls, and I think that has changed the breeding habits of the fish," he said.
Mr Bobbermen said even as the cost of living and comparative price of seafood squeezed consumer budgets, Spanish mackerel remained a favourite.
"There's never any buyer resistance to wild-caught Spanish mackerel," he said.
Karumba charter business owner Jemma Probert said the late wet season might keep the mackerel season going for longer than usual.
"Barramundi held on a lot longer because we had that really late wet, which meant that your Spanish mackerel is late," she said.
The season officially started for commercial fishers last week, but recreational fishers often see young mackerel in the Gulf as early as May.
Ms Probert said she had already reeled in some cracker catches, and there were blue skies ahead for the season.
"It will be a popular season."
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