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Grenadier

(U.S. Pacific, Wild-caught)

Rating:
Like other long-lived fish, grenadier is vulnerable to overfishing. In addition, the fishery is essentially unmanaged. For these reasons, grenadier is a species to "Avoid."

Market Names:
Giant Grenadier, Pacific Grenadier, Pacific Roughy, Shoulderspot Grenadier

Consumer Notes:
Pacific grenadier is the most common species sold as fresh or frozen fillets. Giant, popeye, shoulderspot, smooth and California grenadier may also be sold as fillets but are more often used for fish paste, fish meal or fertilizer.

Summary:
Like most deep-water fish, grenadier live relatively long lives and don't begin to reproduce until they are quite old - 20 to 40 years for Pacific grenadier. This makes the species vulnerable to overfishing.

Not a target species themselves, grenadier are caught incidentally in longline and bottom-trawl fisheries targeting other groundfish such as sablefish and Dover sole. Many of the grenadier caught this way are thrown overboard as bycatch. The bottom trawls used in these fisheries are problematic - damaging seafloor habitats and catching most everything in their paths.

The grenadier fishery is not managed effectively on the U.S. West Coast - a significant conservation concern for the long-term sustainability of grenadier. For these reasons, grenadier is ranked as a species to "Avoid."

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