The Detection of Ciguatera Toxins in NSW Spanish Mackerel

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) causes the largest number of seafood-related food safety incidents in Australia and is caused by the accumulation of toxins produced by marine microalgae in fish that are subsequently eaten. In New South Wales and southern Queensland waters, CFP is mostly related to consumption of Spanish Mackerel and effective prevention methods have not been clearly evaluated. This results in Spanish Mackerel that are safe to eat potentially being excluded from sale, resulting in significant losses (ie > ~$200k p.a in NSW). This investment aims to evaluate methods of toxin detection, determine detailed predictive data on toxin incidence and idnetify the environmental and biological factors associated with Ciguatera toxin in Spanish Mackerel to allow for an evaluation of risk assessment strategies.