Queensland's peak seafood body is launching an independent assessment of the state's Spanish mackerel stocks, as commercial fishers continue to protest plans for a significant cut to their quota.

Fisheries Queensland says new catch limits are to rebuild the fishery for future generations, but the state's peak seafood body says new reductions to Spanish mackerel quotas are "nonsense".

Local fishermen and fishing associations say new quotas imposed on a popular North Queensland fish are not justifiable as the biomass would have been “underestimated”.

Compensation for those hit hardest by Qld’s new Spanish mackerel restrictions remains unlikely as northern fishos brace for seasonal closures to begin in October. Here’s how it will impact ...

Spanish mackerel quotas debated by Queensland fishing industry. ... Spanish mackerel are a highly migratory fish and they move in and out of park boundaries where they are then harvested,” he said.

The Spanish mackerel is a subject of high debate, with government institutions saying the species needs protection while industry leaders say the “reef is thriving”. Department of Agriculture ...