What Tradies Want — August-September 2017

36 WHAT TRADIES WANT.

first-grade food fish no matter how you eat
it. Spanish can be enjoyed raw as sashimi or
any way you choose to cook them, including
battered, grilled or smoked.

Ciguatera
It’s worth mentioning Spanish mackerel are
known carriers of ciguatoxin which can cause
an illness in humans known as ciguatera.
The ciguatoxin can cause gut pain, nausea,
muscle pain, dizziness and vertigo. It can
also get into your brain and cause a person
to feel a burning sensation when touching
cold objects or like they have loose teeth.
Although very rare, ciguatera has resulted in
death. The ciguatoxin itself is produced by
very small animals called dinoflagellates. The
toxin accumulates in fish through the food
chain (little fish eat the dinoflagellates, bigger
fish eat those fish, bigger fish eat those fish

and so on). Many people will not eat very

large Spanish mackerel due to the risks of

contracting ciguatera.

Certain locations around Australia are more

likely to be host to the dinoflagellates that

contain ciguatoxin. For example, Platypus

Bay on the inside of Fraser Island is a hot

spot. Regulations are in place prohibiting

taking Spanish mackerel or other large

predatory fish from the region.

Now that I have everyone worried I’ll finish

with a disclaimer that it’s very rare to get

ciguatera. I’ve eaten a lot of Spanish Mackerel

over the years and have never had the illness.

The only thing I’ve contracted is an addiction

to chasing these hard-fighting silver bullets,

and I don’t see myself being cured of that any

time soon.

Kris with a cobia on that took a live

bait meant for a Spanish mackerel.

36 WHAT TRADIES WANT.

A bag of Sunshine Coast Spanish

mackerel caught on live baits.

Longtail tuna caught while live baiting for Spaniards.

SERVING UP BIG MACKS