Scientific Name: Scomberomorus commerson
All fillets produced have been caught in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Straits by accredited fishermen who have completed studies in all aspects of safe food handling and holds a certificate of accreditation as a seafood producer and works within HACCP regulations. The Gulf of Carpentaria fishery is accredited as a sustainable fishery under the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, emitting a very low carbon footprint.
Another name is Narrow-barred Mackerel and sometimes incorrectly misidentified as Broad-barred Mackerel.
Common along the length of the QLD coast, with fisheries in the Torres Straits, The Gulf NT and extending down the most part of the WA coast line. Spanish can be found from 15mtrs to 200mtrs of water (a pelagic species) but most commonly the line fishermen target 60mtrs of water. With numerous thin, wavy vertical bands on the body, Spanish Mackerel have a common fork length of 50-80cm but can grow up to 120cm, with a minimum catch size is 75cm.
Net caught Spanish Mackerel catches falls in line with the Gulf net closures between 7th Oct and 1st Feb. Line caught Spanish mackerel does not but works under purchased quota. It is an iconic Northern fish, getting its valuable reputation amongst fish and chip shops.
Fresh frozen at sea, the care taken to preserve the appearance of the fillet is meticulous, through a series, once caught, of brine tanks and snap freezers. Packed in a catch-weight top loaded fish carton, the side of the fish is quartered, hence the name quarters, and is basically the fillet cut and trimmed in halves. The quarters, in the cartons, are usually interleafed with liners.
Conducive to Safe Food requirements and guidelines, product has a “best before” of 18mths prior to packing date when store at -18 degrees or more.