Ciguatera & Spanish mackeral

[IRMC000]

How safe are Spanish Mackeral from near Inskip Point regarding Ciguatera Poisoning?
Are they OK to eat caught from there?

[Scott nthQld]

From what I understand, ciguatera isn't area specific. If a species is known for the odd ciguatera instance they can get it anywhere. In most species it doesn;t occur until they get to a large size, so unless you get some monsters, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Smithy]

I reckon it is very area specific, especially for Platypus Bay at Hervey. Species I know people have caught it from include things you would never think of like Coral Trout and what they call locally Trumpeter (Grunter), Queenfish, Kingfish, Cobia, etc., pretty much any high end predator yet Spanish Mackerel are the only species you legally can't take from the area. That said, you never know when it will strike. Spaniard King from on here got it from a Spaniard off the Gold Coast. But really how many days travel is it for a Spanish that has lived at Hervey Bay to get to Inskip or DI Pt or the Sunny Coast or the Gold Coast for that matter? I reckon Inskip would have to be one of the more dodgier locations for it after Hervey Bay as you would think a proportion of the fish that end up there come down through the Sandy Straits. Personally I would eat a Spanish up to say 12kg without a thought from anywhere outside of Hervey Bay and then suffer the consequences. I don't think all the try it with the neighbours cat theories work. You would need a cig test kit to be really sure.

[jimbo59]

Mate got a 52 lber off harvey bay brought it home cut it up and handed it out to the whole street and poisned everyone who ate it,true story.

[bradhorny28]

One of the charter boats at hervey bay keep a few and cut it up in steaks and gave it to everyone on the boat. Everyone ended up in hospital that night. A few people on the boat tried to sue the guy.

[Spaniard_King]

If you catch any spanish you should try it yourself before exposing others to it. As Smithy has stated, I got it from a 16kg specimen off northern NSW waters so it can strike you anywhere. Now I sample each fish I take and no one eats it until I have sampled it and 24hrs has passed. Couldn't bare to put my family through it again.

[Timfishin4fun]

I have been told that cig runs in the backbone area, so if you fillet and leave a bit of flesh on you reduce the risk./

Not sure if this is true though but never had any troubles either.

Tim

[Spaniard_King]

Tim,

Ciga isn't something you mess with.. I think you will find the fish will be contaminated throughout. QLD health did inform me that if we had eaten the liver of the fish that struck us down we most likely would have had a fatality.

by the way there are 3 different straines of Ciga and only the USA has a TEST kit for there strain. It's untested in australia.. I priced a kit for $25.00 USD and it only tested 3 fish

[IRMC000]

So it's best not to eat Spaniards at all then

[sid_fishes]

i would like to catch one to find out but. i have not wet a line for sooooooooo long i,m beginning to think i dont know how or where to catch fish ian

[Spaniard_King]

So it's best not to eat Spaniards at all then

I would have to say "At your own risk"

Ian, hang in there mate.. weather has to give us a shot sooner or later

[Rocket01]

Are there anyother fish you should avoid eating?

[steve99]

Hey Rocket,

I've always been told red bass are sure carriers of ciguatera poisoning.

Cheers Steve99

[insideout]

with every bite of a Spanish from this area(hervey bay) you are playing Russian roulette, no joke. But the trout, which i eat plenty, not so.(from southern gutters)

[Spaniard_King]

Are there anyother fish you should avoid eating?

Rocket01,

You would be amazed at what is known to carry it.. go google it...then again.. maybe you shouldn't fish as comon as .. Cobia.. red Emporer