Bluefish

Blue, chopper, elf, fatback, greenfish, Hatteras blue, horse mackerel, rock salmon, skipjack, slammer, snap mackerel, taylor

N/A

Bluefish are found in every ocean basin throughout the world, except for the eastern Pacific. Bluefish are a schooling, pelagic species, and seasonally migrate along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, moving into the Middle Atlantic Bight in the spring, and southward or offshore in the fall. Larger bluefish are generally found further north during the summer and juvenile bluefish are found in all of the estuaries surveyed by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Eggs and larvae are only found in oceanic waters.

Bluefish mature quickly, reaching sexual maturity by age 2, and are moderately long-lived, with a maximum age of 14 years. Bluefish have a broad range as they occur in every ocean basin except the eastern Pacific. There is no evidence that bluefish exhibit any special behaviors that increase ease of capture, and there is no evidence of high population variability driven by environmental change. These factors indicate that bluefish are inherently resilient to fishing pressure.

Bluefish are not overfished, and biomass is currently 71% of BMSY. Long-term abundance trends exhibit a declining trend, while short-term abundance trends are increasing. There is a moderate level of uncertainty associated with the status of the bluefish stock. The status of the bluefish stock rates as a moderate conservation concern, and stock status is considered moderate/rebuilding.

Although gillnets targeting bluefish are associated with marine mammals takes, the bluefish fishery is not thought to be contributing to the decline of any marine mammal species. The drop net method of harvesting bluefish, as well as the smaller mesh sizes used may reduce the number of marine mammal takes. Otter trawls modified with flynets likely have a high diversity of bycatch species, as do pound nets. It is unknown if bycatch in the bluefish fishery has any effect on population levels of the bycatch species, and the trends in bycatch composition and quantity are unknown. Bycatch rates as a moderate conservation concern in the bluefish fishery.

Gillnets used to target bluefish affect a moderate geographical area, and have a moderate effect of bottom habitat. Sink gillnets can affect bottom habitat when the nets are both set and retrieved, and through movement of the net once it has been set. In general, otter trawls cause great damage to bottom habitat; however, otter trawls for bluefish are modified with a flynet, which reduces the habitat effects of this fishing gear. Pound nets are stationary gear, and have a minimal effect on the bottom habitat. Overall, the effects of bluefish fishing practices on habitats and ecosystems rates as a moderate conservation concern.

A recent stock assessment has been completed for bluefish, and management regularly collects fishery independent and recreational CPUE data. Bycatch reduction efforts include seasonal closures for specific gear types to minimize bluefish fishery interactions with marine mammals, which are the primary bycatch concern. Management has not addressed the effect of fishing practices on bottom habitat due to the minimal effects of gillnets. The bluefish fishery is adequately enforced, as logbook reporting is legally mandated. However, management measures were implemented only after significant declines in stock abundance which occurred throughout the 1980s. Management of bluefish in the Atlantic is therefore considered moderately effective.

Where is this bluefish from?

At this time, only the US East coast fishery has been assessed.

Elevated mercury and PCB levels + Adults and children should not eat at all

No.