Common Name	Haddock	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Melanogrammus aeglefinus	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Scrod, Offshore hake	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	N/A	Health/Nutrition

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U.S. Haddock Market Update - updated April 2012

The good news is that haddock stocks on the U.S. side of Georges Bank are in great shape, with biologists saying some 40,000 metric tons could be caught this year. The bad news is that New England fishermen will probably only catch about 10 percent of what they could. That’s because cod stocks on Georges are in even worse shape then previously thought and you can’t catch haddock without catching cod, the bread-and-butter groundfish that New England fishery managers are desperately trying to rebuild.

U.S. haddock landings this fishing year, which in New England starts May 1, will probably be less than 5,000 metric tons, about half what was landed last year. On the other side of Georges, Canadian catches should be off slightly from last year’s haul of almost 15,000 metric tons. More than 80 percent of the Canadian haddock catch is trucked to Massachusetts, where it is filleted by U.S. processors.

Fresh haddock fillet prices, which have been averaging about $7/lb. this winter, should drop steeply when the Canadian fishery opens June 1 and a glut of fish hits the market. Frozen haddock continues to be a good value, as imports continue to climb due to yet another bump in the big Barents Sea quota, which is shared by Norway and Russia. This year’s quota is up another 5 percent to 318,000 metric tons (as recently as 2002, the quota was just 85,000 metric tons).

Haddock imports have been rising steadily due to the increase in supplies of frozen product. Last year, they were up another 9 percent to about 37,000 metric tons. Imports of twice-frozen fillets from China were up 16 percent to almost 15,500 metric tons, while imports from Norway (8,500 metric tons) and Russia (1,975 metric tons) also climbed.The extra supplies have been putting pressure on prices. Chinese 8-16 oz. fillets have dropped to about $2.80/lb., while single-frozen FAS fillets from Norway and Russia  have dropped to about $3.50/lb., making haddock an even better buy.

Conservation Notes

Life History/Inherent Vulnerability: Haddock matures at a young age and has a moderate lifespan, which make it fairly resilient to fishing pressure.

Status of Stocks/Abundance: Starting in the late 1970s, western North Atlantic haddock stocks began to be overfished and crashed in the 1990s. Recovery didn’t begin until the late 1990s. Currently the Atlantic haddock fishery has moderately healthy stocks.

Fishing Impacts on Habitat: Most haddock in Canada, the U.S., and Iceland is caught with bottom trawl gear, which can harm the seafloor. A small amount of North American haddock is caught with hook and line, the most sustainable method for catching haddock because it minimizes bycatch and preserves the seafloor.

Bycatch, Nature and Extent: Bycatch is a serious concern in this fishery, mostly consisting of cod and cusk. In Canada, overfished cod have “special concern” status and cusk are “threatened.” Other bycatch includes yellowtail, winter flounder, and white hake. Some fishermen use an eight-foot mesh in the front end of their nets, called a “haddock rope trawl” or “eliminator trawl” that allows cod and other fish to escape, reducing bycatch.

Management Effectiveness: The Atlantic haddock fishery is considered effectively managed. Internationally, haddock falls under the International Council for the Exploration for the Sea. In the United States, haddock are managed by the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, which includes area closures, equipment restrictions, minimum catch size, total allowable catch requirements, as well as a cap on bycatch.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
U.S. Handline	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice	Yellow	A List
U.S. Trawl	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Yellow	B List
U.S. Gillnet				Yellow	B List
U.S. Longline				Yellow
Canada Hook & Line		Best Choice		Yellow		Certified*
Canada Trawl		Avoid		Yellow		Certified*
Canada Gillnet, Handline				Yellow		Certified*
Iceland Wild-caught	Good Alternative			Yellow
Barents Sea Trawl				Yellow		Certified*
North Sea Trawl, Seine				Yellow		Certified*
Northeast Arctic Wild-caught				Yellow		Certified*

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch, SeaChoice, and Blue Ocean Institute's ratings are different by geographic and/or fishing method scope. Seafood Watch only evaluates U.S. haddock hook and line and trawl fisheries. Sea Choice only evaluates Canadian hook and line and trawl fisheries. Blue Ocean Institute's assesses all regions and all gear types as one assessment. The  "Canada Scotia-Fundy" haddock fishery which includes multiple gear types as well as multiple haddock fisheries in Europe are certified as sustainable to the standards of the Marine Stewardship Council.

Buying Tips

• Haddock is sold fresh whole, head-on, and headed and gutted; frozen whole headed and gutted, as skin-on fillets, and as blocks
• Value-added haddock that’s breaded or smoked is also available
• Haddock is available year-round
• This fish has a slightly sweet taste and lean, white meat that becomes whiter when cooked
• Haddock’s thin connective tissue layer differentiates it from cod

Nutrition and Health

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service