Common Name	Bluefish	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Pomatomus saltatrix	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Tailor, Snapper	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	N/A	Health/Nutrition

    FIND SUPPLIERS NOW  

Bluefish Market Alert - updated July 2011

Summer is a great time to feature bluefish, the rapacious predator that moves inshore at this time of year to feast on shoals of menhaden.  This year’s commercial bluefish quota is about 4,500 metric tons, most of which will be landed by gillnetters fishing waters from North Carolina to New York. (A popular recreational fish, sports anglers have a bluefish quota this year of about 8,500 metric tons.)

Bluefish fishermen typically get about $.40/lb. for their catch and prices this summer should be about the same. That means the price of bluefish fillets will be up in $3-$4/lb. range. Bluefish can be tricky to buy. Like any fish that are feeding heavily, the enzymes  in their digestive tract are very active, which means they can suffer from belly burn if they are not gutted and iced right after being landed. 

In addition, larger bluefish will feed on menhaden (a.k.a. bunker fish or fat back), a very oily member of the herring family that is used to make fish meal and fish oil. Bluefish that are feeding heavily on menhaden can have a strong flavor. Removing the fat line from the fillet helps, but a lot of buyers prefer the smaller “snapper” bluefish. Too small to feed on menhaden, snappers will feed on crustaceans, mollusks and small silverside, giving them a much milder flavor.

Conservation Notes

Advantages: Although bluefish experienced overfishing in the past, the fishery has been recovering and was declared rebuilt in 2009. Bluefish grow quickly and breed frequently, life characteristics that have helped its stocks return to healthy levels. Recreational fishermen use hook and line, which is a catch method that has relatively low bycatch rates, according to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. Some bluefish are commercially landed with otter trawls modified with flynets, reducing the likelihood of damage to the seafloor habitat.

Challenges: The majority of commercial fishermen who are allocated a low percentage of the bluefish fishery use gillnets. The Blue Ocean Institute reports that these nets can occasionally entangle marine animals such as dolphins and sea turtles. However, the risk is reduced for bluefish since small-mesh nets are usually employed and these nets have the lowest bycatch rates of the gillnet sizes, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
U.S. Pound Net & Gillnet	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Light Green	B List
U.S. Trawl	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Light Green

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch's assessment of bluefish is for specific fishing methods while Blue Ocean Institute's rating is for all fishing methods and New England Aquarium only has a rating for pound net and gillnet fishing methods.

Buying Tips

• Bluefish have a high oil content and are a good source of selenium, niacin, and vitamin B12, magnesium, and potassium
• The flesh is fine-textured, fatty, and ranges from white to silver-gray
• Bluefish can be substituted for other high oil content fish such as mackerel and farmed salmon
• To determine quality, look for bluefish flesh that has a firm texture
• Pay close attention to quality, especially during peak landings in warm weather months, because bluefish are highly perishable and need to be cleaned quickly and iced
• The fish are sold fresh as whole fish and as skin-on fillets with the pinbone in as well as salted, dried, smoked, and as a pâté
• Bluefish has a short shelf life and doesn’t hold up well to freezing so some buyers recommend looking for it fresh

Nutrition and Health

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• NOAA Fisheries