Glossary - Pacific Seafood

Glossary

Acronym Definitions

A

ABIOTIC

A nonliving (physical or chemical) component of the environment.

(ABSOLUTE) ABUNDANCE

The total number of a kind of fish in a population; this is rarely known, and usually estimated from the relative abundance.

ABUNDANCE INDEX

A relative measure of the weight or number of fish in a stock, a segment of the stock (e.g. the spawners), or an area. Often available in time series, the information is collected through scientific surveys or inferred from fishery data.

ABYSSMAL PLAIN

The ocean floor offshore from the continental margin, usually very fl at with a slight slope.

ABYSSALPELAGIC ZONE

The pelagic environment from a depth of approximately 4,000 meters to 7,000 meters.12

ABYSSAL ZONE

The bottom from a depth of approximately 4,000  meters to 7,000 meters.12

ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC)

A scientific calculation of the sustainable harvest level for a species or species group, and is used to set the upper limit on the range of potential annual total allowable catch (TAC).1,4 (see Allowable Biological Catch)

ACCURACY

Of an estimate: an indicator of the closeness of an estimated value (e.g. population parameter) to the actual value. It should not be confused with precision, which relates to the confidence limits (variability) of the estimate and can always be computed from the samples. (see Precision)

ACOUSTIC SURVEY

A systematic method of gathering information on fish availability and abundance in a water body with the help of sophisticated acoustic instruments, such as echo sounders and sonar, that generate ultrasonic sound for the detection of fish.

ACTIVE FISHING DAYS

The number of days in a month where fishing activities are considered “normal.”

ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT

1. A management process involving step-wise evolution of a flexible management system in response to feedback information actively collected to check or test its performance (in biological, social, and economic terms). It may involve deliberate intervention to test the fishery system’s response; 2. The process of improving management effectiveness by learning from the results of carefully designed decisions or experiments.

ADVISORY PANEL (AP)

Provides additional review and stakeholder perspective to a regional fishery management council (FMC) for proposed actions and draft amendments to fishery management plans (FMPs). The advisory panel usually represents a variety of interests from commercial, recreational, environmental, and consumer areas.  However, panel members do not have seats on the council and do not vote.2 (see Scientific and Statistical Committee)

AGE CLASS

A group of fish of the same age range in a population. The “0” group are the fish in their first year of life. Any fish born in April of a given year remains in the 0 group until April of the following year.

AGE FREQUENCY OR AGE STRUCTURE

A breakdown of the different age groups of a kind of fish in a population or sample.2

AGE-LENGTH KEY

One approach used to assign ages to fish, given length measurements. Used to convert catch-at-size data into catch-at-age data. The keys specify the probability that fish of a given size belong to one of several age groups.5

AHI

Hawaiian name for tuna, usually yellowfin.

ALLOCATION

A quantity of catch, effort or biomass attributed to a person, a vessel and a fishing company. The allocation can be absolute, as in number of tons, or a percentage of the annual allowable catch.

ALLOWABLE CATCH

Often referred to as total allowable catch (TAC), it is the total amount of fish permitted by a management authority to be taken from a stock of a species or group of species by a fishery during a specified time period.

ALLOWABLE QUOTA

A share in a total allowable catch that is usually divided amongst those with a right to participate in the fishery.

ALLOCATION

1. Distribution of the opportunity to fish among user groups or individuals. The share a user group gets is sometimes based on historic harvest amounts;

2. A quantity of catch, effort, or biomass attributed to a person, a vessel, and a fishing company. The allocation can be absolute (e.g. a number of tons) or relative (e.g. a percentage of the annual allowable catch).5

ALTERNATIVES

In the context of an environmental impact statement for annual fisheries management measures, alternatives are different suites of optimum yields and management actions that could be used to manage fisheries.1

ANADROMOUS SPECIES

Sea fish which migrate to freshwater rivers, streams and lakes to spawn.

ANGLER

A person catching fish or shellfish with no intent to sell, including people releasing the catch.10 (see Recreational Fishery)

ANNUAL (Total) MORTALITY (Rate)

1. The rate of death, usually in terms of a percentage of fish dying from a population in one year, due to both

fishing and natural causes2;  2. The ratio of the number of fish which die during a year divided by the number alive at the beginning of that year.5

ANOXIC

The condition of oxygen deficiency or absence of oxygen. Anoxic sediments and anoxic bottom waters are commonly produced where there is a deficiency of oxygen due to very high organic productivity and a lack of oxygen replenishment to the water or sediment, as in the case of stagnation or stratification of the water body.12

APHOTIC

Light level modifier of the deep epipelagic ocean ecosystem, and turbid regions of all other waters; areas never reached by natural light.

AQUACULTURE

The farming of fish, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Production is enhanced by regular stocking, feeding and by providing protection from predators. Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of the fishing industry and the major hope for continued expansion of supplies to meet growing markets.

ARCHIPELAGO

A group of islands; an expanse of water with scattered islands.12

AREA CLOSURE

The closure to fishing by particular gear(s) of an entire fishing ground, or a part of it, for the protection of a section of the population (e.g. spawners, juveniles), the whole population, or several populations. The closure is usually seasonal but it could be permanent.5

ARTISANAL FISHERIES

Traditional fisheries that utilize a relatively small amount of capital and energy. Artisanal fisheries generally operate small fishing vessels, if any, making short fishing trips close to shore.

ASSEMBLAGE

1.         An association of coexisting species, in space and time, with similar environmental tolerance, possibly trophic relationships, but not totally interdependent;

2.         A collection of species inhabiting a given area, the interactions between the species, if any, being unspecified.5

ASSESSMENT

A judgment made by a scientist or scientific body on the state of a resource, such as a fish stock (e.g. size

of the stock, potential yield, on whether it is over- or underexploited), usually for the purpose of passing advice to a management authority.5

ASSESSMENT LEVEL

Categories of the level of complexity of, and data available for each assessment: index of abundance

(Index), yield-per-recruit analysis (Yield), analysis of the age structure of the catch (Age Structure), analysis including the relationship between recruitment and spawning stock size (Spawning Stock), and assessment that allows prediction of future (1or 2 years ahead) stock sizes and catches (predictive).6

ASSOCIATED SPECIES

Those species that (a) prey upon the target species, (b) are preyed on by it, (c) compete with it for food, living space, etc., or (d) co-occur in the same fishing area and are exploited (or accidentally taken) in the same fishery or fisheries. These interactions can occur at any stage of the life cycle of one or other species and the range of species concerned can therefore be very large.5

ATOLL

Earthform consisting of a ringlike perimeter reef area, often with a reef islet, enclosing a lagoon area.12 (see Lagoon, Reef)

AVAILABILITY

1. The fraction of a fish population which lives in regions where it is susceptible to fishing during a given fishing season. This fraction receives recruits from or becomes mingled with the non-available part of the stock at other seasons, or in other years (any more or less completely isolated segment of the population is best treated as a separate stock); 2. The proportion of a stock which is susceptible to fishing. Fish become

“available” to fisheries through migration, growth and /or change of behavior (from pelagic to demersal). If an available section of a stock is sufficiently isolated from the rest of the stock, it could be considered a management unit and be managed as such; 3. Describes whether a certain kind of fish of a certain size can be caught by a type of gear in an area.5

B

BARBEL

A fleshy projection usually attached to the maxillary as in the barbels of a catfish.

BATTERED

Product covered in a mixture usually consisting of flour, milk and eggs. This is usually partly cooked (“pre-cooked”) to set the batter before freezing. Batter serves the same purpose as breading.

BEACH PRICE

Price for a product at the landing point not taking into account any transportation or handling costs.

BEAM TRAWLER

A trawler in which the fishing gear is towed from outrigger booms, and tapered wooden beams are utilized to spread the mouth of the net. The beam trawl has been largely replaced by the otter trawl.

BELLY BURN

A condition where the bones of the belly wall separate from the flesh and a sign of poor handling. Left too long before gutting, digestive enzymes break down flesh adjacent to the intestines.

BELLY ICE

Ice placed in the cavity of a fish where the guts have been removed.

BIOMASS STANDING ROCK

The total weight of a group of fish, or of some defined fraction of it, in an area at a particular time.

BIVALVES

Mollusks with two-component shells such as oysters and scallops.

BLOCK FROZEN

Product is placed in a form or carton, topped up with water and frozen in a plate freezer. This technique is probably the one most often used for seafood. It gives good product protection, and because cartons are solidly filled, it makes transportation and storage easier with less chance of damaging cartons or contents. The product is protected because a relatively small surface area is exposed, and this is easy to cover with glaze.

Blocks are uniformly shaped masses of cohering fish fillets or a mixture of fillets and minced fish flesh, or entirely minced fish flesh ranging in weight from 13 to 16 lbs. intended for further processing into fish sticks and portions. Larger blocks may contain whole dressed fish for subsequent thawing, processing or resale.

  • Block-Boned/Boneless – Product has been processed to remove backbone and rib bones.
  • Fillet block – Product skinless fillets
  • H&G block – Product headed and gutted
  • Mince block – Product minced fish flesh

Piece block – Product chunks/pieces

BOAT DAY

A measure of fishing effort. For example, 10 vessels each fishing for 50 days would have expended 500 boat-days of effort.

BOTTOM OTTER TRAWL

Also known as dragging, this method of fishing is one of the most commonly used techniques for fish harvesting. Typically towed by a single boat, the horizontal opening of the net is achieved through the use of otter boards which are relatively heavy and equipped with a steel sole to provide good contact with the ground.

BOTTOM PAIR TRAWLS

A trawl towed by two boats at the same time. This method is typically reserved for very large nets but rarely used today.

BOTTOM TRAWL

Trawls that are specifically designed and rigged to work near the ocean floor.

BRACKISH WATERS

A body of water with a salinity midway between seawater and freshwater.

BREADED

Product is covered in breadcrumbs and seasonings.

BREADING

Flour-based covering used to coat fish, shrimp and other seafood. The breading forms a jacket within which the product cooks gently. Breading helps to retain moisture in the product during cooking and also adds contrasting texture and flavor to the product.

BRINE FREEZING

The practice of freezing seafood by immersion in liquid brine, usually at temperatures of about 5ºF. King, snow and Dungeness crab are usually brine frozen.

BROADLINER

A distribution company that sells food services customers all of the products they need.  This includes all food products as well as paper products, soap, etc.

BROOD STOCK

Adult fish from which subsequent generations may be produced in captivity for growing as aquaculture or for release to the wild for stock enhancement.

BUCKRAM

A crab past the paper shell stage but not yet fully hardened. Unmarketable as a soft crab, it is also known as “papershell” and “buckler.”

BUSHEL

Measure equal to 8 gallons or 32-quart capacity.

BUTTERFLY FILLET

Fish is cut along both sides with the two pieces remaining joined by the skin of the back.

BUTTERFLY SHRIMP

peeled and deveined shrimp with the shell left on the last (tail) segment.

BULLET

A term used to describe a finfish that has had its head, guts, and tail removed. Most often used with mahi-mahi or farmed sturgeon.

BY-CATCH

Fish taken incidentally in addition to the targeted species. Most may be returned to the sea as discards but are usually dead or dying.

C

CAGE CULTURE

Raising fish or other organisms in cages either on the ocean floor or suspended.

CANDLING

Skin is removed by an automated skinner. After skinning the fillets, the flesh is run by bright lights and inspected for defects.

CAPTURE FISHERY

The sum of all activities utilized to harvest a given fish resource. It may refer to the location, target resource, technology used, social characteristics, purpose or season.

CARAPACE

The shield covering the upper surface of part of the body of various crustacean species.

CAST NET

Cast from the shore or from a boat, this wide, cone-shaped net catches fish by falling and closing in on them. The perimeter is lined with weights and retained by a center line. Its use is typically relegated to shallow waters.

CATCH

1.) The activity that results in taking fish out of its environment dead or alive. 2.) The total number or weight of fish caught by fishing operations.

CELLO WRAPS

Fillets wrapped together in cellophane or polyethylene film. Each wrap is usually labeled with the type of fish, the packer and the brand. Six polywraps per five-pound box is standard. Cellos may also be unlabeled (blanks) to permit tray packing and labeling by the retail seller.

CENSUS

A complete inventory of all elements of the observed population.

CEPHALOPODS

Animals (mollusks) with tentacles converging at the head around the mouth (e.g. squids, cuttlefish and octopus).

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

CLOSED SEASON OR SEASONAL CLOSURE

The banning of fishing activity, in an area or an entire fishery, for a few weeks or months, usually to protect juveniles or spawners.

CONCENTRATES

Chowder base or bisque base which requires the addition of water or other dilutants before serving. Most frozen chowders sold are concentrates requiring approximately equal quantities of water, milk, cream or tomato juice to be added by the chef.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The protection, improvement and use of natural resources according to principles that will assure their highest economic or social benefits for mankind and the environment now and into the future.

CO-TREATED

Fish fillets that have been exposed to carbon monoxide, which is used to retain or enhance red color.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

For genetic resources, the country which possesses those genetic resources in the original conditions.

CROQUETTES

Patties containing a mixture of breading or breadcrumbs or other binder, usually at least 35% seafood, such as combination of fish and crabmeat.

CURING

Using salt or sugar to draw moisture from the flesh of fish, also used to enhance flavor.

CUSTOM CUT

Irregularly shaped triangle cut from a block of frozen fish.

D

DAF System

(Dissolved Air Floatation) Separates solids from water

DECAPODS

An animal that has 10 appendages such as crustaceans with five pairs of thoracic walking and grasping legs like prawns and lobsters. Squid are decapod mollusks, as they have 10 tentacles around their mouth.

DEMERSAL

Fish or shellfish which live in close relation to the bottom and depend on it for survival.

DEPLETED STOCK

A stock that has been driven to very low levels of abundance compared to historical levels. Reproductive capacity has generally been reduced and will require active rebuilding strategies to recover.

DEPURATION

The practice of cleansing bacteria from live shellfish to make them safe to eat.

DEVEIN

To remove the sand vein (intestine) from the tail section of a shrimp, lobster or other crustacean.

DIPS

A number of similar chemicals used in processing seafood to help retain moisture and sometimes to improve the appearance by whitening. Sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium or potassium pyrophosphate and other phosphate compounds are among the chemicals used. The use of these, or any other additives, should be listed on the label of each inner pack.

DREDGE

A heavy mesh gear that sucks up everything from the seafloor, used primarily to target shellfish. The impacts of dredge gear on benthos habitats is an environmental concern.

DRESSED FISH Completely cleaned, but with head on (head removed is usually called pan-dressed). Catfish – deheaded, eviscerated and skinned. Dressed in NZ commonly refers to a HG or HGT fish which has the head cut which carries further back, the angle is more severe into the belly (giving lower H&G recovery ) also known as a J cut, for red fish etc.

DRESSED WEIGHT

The weight of fish after it is gutted and usually scaled.

DRIFTING GILLNET

Drifting gillnets are deployed vertically either near the surface or in mid-water where fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets have floats on the upper line and weights on the bottom to keep the net in an upright position. The United Nations established a worldwide moratorium on all high seas drift net fishing effective December 31, 1992. The ban is in force in all the world’s oceans, enclosed seas, and semi-enclosed seas, but applies only to international waters, not to waters under national jurisdiction. Drift nets were designed for pelagic species like mackerel and salmon, and were typically utilized in deep water.

DRIFTING LONGLINE

A longline kept near the surface, or at a certain depth, by means of regularly spaced floats and relatively long snoods with baited hooks evenly spaced on the mainline. The main advantage of longlining is the ability to fish a larger area with fewer people onboard.

DRIFTNET

See drifting gillnet.

E

EEZ

Exclusive Economic Zone.

EFFLUENT

The waste stream and material from an aquaculture facility as a byproduct of the aquaculture operation usually consisting of fecal matter, nutrients and chemicals such as pesticides and antibiotics.

EL NIÑO

A major warming of the equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean. The irregularity is accompanied by dramatic changes in species’ abundance and distribution. El Niño events usually occur every three to seven years and are characterized by shifts in “normal” weather patterns.

ENCIRCLING GILLNET

Typically utilized in shallow water, the floatline remains at the surface. Deployed upright in the water column in a circular fashion, the fish gill or entangle themselves in the netting.

ESCAPEMENT

Fish remaining at the end of a given fishing season and reaching the spawning grounds. The term is generally used for anadromous fish management.

An area, typically the river mouth, in which sea water is appreciably diluted by fresh water from rivers.

EVISCERATED

Fish from which the guts have been removed.

EX-VESSEL

Activities that occur when a commercial fishing boat lands or unloads a catch. For example, the price received by a captain at the point of landing for the catch is an ex-vessel price.

EX-VESSEL PRICE

Price received by fishermen for fish, shellfish and other aquatic plants and animals landed at the dock.

F

FACTORY TRAWLER

A large trawler equipped to catch, gut, clean, freeze and store fish for market. They may also have the ability to process fish oil and fish meal.

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization.

FARM GATE PRICE

In aquaculture, the price for a product at the production site, not taking account of any transportation or subsequent handling costs.

FCZ

Fishery Conservation Zone. Zone of federal control of United States fisheries between territorial waters and a distance of 200 nautical miles as defined in the F-MA.

FEED

Edible material having nutrient value, typically residues from agriculture and food producing industries, as well as fish meal.

FFC

An abbreviation for fresh fish cuttings.  FFC referes to the head, tail and fram of a filleted fish that will be used to produce pet food.

FILLET

Slices of practically boneless fish flesh of irregular size and shape which are removed from the carcass by cuts made parallel to the backbone. Types include:

  • Fillet – Fillet with the nugget (belly flap attached to it.)
  • Fillets skinless belly flap off
  • Fillets skinless belly flap on
  • Fillets skinless boneless
  • Fillets skinless bone in
  • Fillets skin on belly flap on
  • Fillets skin on belly flap off
  • Fillets skin on boneless
  • Fillets skin on bone in

FILL RATE

The amount of crab meat as a percentage of the total weight of the crab. 

FILTER FEEDERS

Mollusks such as clams, mussels, scallops and oysters. These shellfish pump water through their digestive systems and absorb the nutrients they need from the water.

FINGERS

Irregular-shaped pieces of fish, similar to a long, thin fillet, breaded or battered, raw or pre-cooked, usually machine cut from fish block, then coated and fried.

FISHABLE STOCK

The part of a stock that is available to be fished. The fish must be big enough to be caught and must live in places where fishermen work to be part of the fishable stock.

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Controlling the catch of a species to maintain the resource and so, in the long run, provide more of that species.

FISH MEAL

Cooked, dried fish, ground for use as animal feed.

FLETCH

Large boneless fillet of halibut, swordfish or tuna.

FREE-DIVING

Also known as breath hold diving, this is a method of diving without the assistance of any breathing apparatus. The diver simply holds ones breath and submerges possibly using a snorkel, mask, flippers, weight belt and a wet suit. The method is sometimes used to collect fishery resources in shallow waters.

FREEZER TRAWLER

A large trawler equipped with a freezer aboard in order to preserve fish. The vessel is outfitted with a large refrigerated hold so it can reach the most distant waters.

G

GENETIC DIVERSITY

The sum of the actual or potential genetic information and variation contained in the genes of living individual organisms, populations or species.

GEOSMIN

Earthy-/musty-smelling chemical compound affecting the taste and odor of water. Released by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).

GILLNET OR ENTANGLING NET

Gillnets or entangling nets are strings of single, double or triple netting walls. They are deployed vertically, either near the surface, in mid-water or on the bottom, where fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets have floats on the upper line and weights on the bottom to keep the net in an upright position. These nets may be deployed on the surface, in mid-water or near the ocean floor.

GLAZE

Protective coating of ice on frozen product to prevent the flesh from dehydration. Product frozen in blocks should have a glaze covering the block. IQF product needs glaze all over. This is usually achieved either by spraying frozen product with very cold water, which freezes instantly into a protective film, or by dipping the frozen item in a bath of ice-cold water for the same effect.

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

A system for finding three-dimensional coordinates on the earth using satellites.

GROUNDFISH

Fish caught on or near the sea floor. The term usually applies to cod, cusk, haddock, hake, pollock and Atlantic ocean perch.

H

H&G

The abbreviation for headed and gutted fish or headless, dressed fish.

HABITAT

The environment where an organism naturally occurs or the place one would go to find it.

HARPOON OR HARPOON GEAR

A pointed dart attached to a pole and tethered to a flotation device by several hundred feet of line. Today, the harpoon has become little more than a nostalgic method of landing fish.

HAUL NET

Used to encircle or ring a school of fish, the haul net is typically operated from a small boat in shallow water. The ropes are short and the net is pulled in by hand.

HGT

The abbreviation for headed and gutted fish or headless, dressed fish with the tail also removed.

HOOK AND LINE

Landing fish by hook and line has been in existence for centuries. The hook and line method is where the fish are attracted by either a natural or artificial bait placed on a hook fixed to the end of a line on which they get caught. This type of harvesting can be separated into four categories: hand lines, pole and lines, troll lines, and longlines or set lines.

I

INCIDENTAL CATCH OR BY-CATCH

Part of a catch of a fishing unit taken incidentally in addition to the target species towards which the fishing effort is directed. Some or all of it may be returned to the sea as discards, usually dead or dying.

INDIVIDUAL QUOTA (IQ)

A quota of a total allowable catch assigned to an individual, a vessel or a company.

INSHORE WATERS

Waters of the shallower part of the continental shelf.

INTERLEAVED

Fillets packed in layers with a continuous sheet of polyethylene film between the layers. There is no significant difference between this, layer pack or shatterpack product.

IPW

Individually polywrapped.

IQF

Individually quick frozen. Each piece of product is separate from every other.

J

J – CUT

Trimming a fillet removing both the nape and pinbones.

JIGGING

A method of fishing that utilizes a rod and reel in such a way, moved up and down, to present lures. Largely used to catch squid at night.

JOINT VENTURE

A cooperative operation between two or more companies, many times from different countries.

K

KIC

An acronym for, “Keep it cold.  Keep it covered.  Keep it Clean.”  It is used as a reminder that Byproduct also needs to be taken care of as it is valuable for pet food and other industries.

KIRIMI

Take the head and tail off, leave in the guts (called kirimi), and then freeze the fish or portion cut from a fillet, then tempura fried.

KIPPER

To cure (herring, salmon, etc.) by cleaning, salting and drying or smoking.

KG, KILO, KILOGRAM

Metric weight equivalent to 2.2046 lbs. Imported product is often sold by the kilogram.

L

LANDINGS

The weight of what is landed at a particular site, excluding discards.

LAYER PACKS

Product, usually fillets, are put into a carton in layers with a sheet of polyethylene between each layer of product. This enables the fish to be separated easily while still frozen, so avoiding the waste of time and product involved in thawing blocks when less than the full block is required. Layer packs provide better product protection than IQF since less of the product is exposed to the air and the risk of dehydration is reduced. Layer packs are also easier to stack and handle in storage and transportation than IQF packs.

LIMITED ENTRY FISHERY

Fishery where the number of operators is restricted to control total landings. The system is managed by controls on the number and size of vessels and conditions relating to the transfer of fishing rights or the replacement of vessels.

LINE FISHING

See Hook and line.

LITTORAL ZONE

The region where the sea meets the land. This shallow water area is typically occupied by rooted plants.

LONGLINE

A fishing gear consisting of a main or ground line with regularly spaced, baited hooks attached. A drifting longline consists of a main line kept near the surface, or at a certain depth, by means of regularly spaced floats and relatively long snoods with baited hooks evenly spaced on the mainline. A set longline consists of a main line and snoods with baited hooks at regular intervals and which is set, in general, on or near the bottom.

LOIN

The boneless portion cut lengthwise from either side of the backbone of a large, round-bodied fish.

LOX

Cold-smoked salmon.

M

MAGNUSON ACT

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act or MFCMA. An act designed to provide for the conservation and management of fisheries.

MARICULTURE MARINE FISH FARMING (AQUACULTURE)

The raising of marine finfish and shellfish for purposes of human consumption. Many times cultured in brackish or fresh water, the cultivation of the end product in sea water.

MECHANIZED DREDGE

This gear digs mollusks out of the bottom by means of powerful underwater jets. The mollusks collected are sometimes transferred into the boat carrying the dredge by a conveyor-belt type device or by suction.

MERCURY

A heavy metal occurring naturally in some seafood. It tends to accumulate and so is higher in creatures such as tuna and swordfish which live a long time.

METRIC TON

1,000 kilograms or about 2,204 pounds.

MIDWATER TRAWLS

A trawl employed from the surface to great depth to target pelagic species depending on the position of the fish. Typically much larger than a bottom trawl, the trawl is a cone-shaped net with a wide mouth that tapers into a narrow end where the fish collect. The fishing depth is usually controlled by means of a net sounder and may be towed by one or two boats.

MOLTING

The shedding of the exoskeleton of crustaceans, allowing for new growth.

MORTALITY

The death rate or the total number of deaths within a given population of fish. Death can arise from pollution, starvation and disease, but the two main sources of death are predation and fishing.

N

NET WEIGHT

The weight of product less the amount of packing material or glaze.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION

Any organization that is not part of a government. It usually refers to non-profit organizations or associations organized outside of institutionalized political structures.

NUGGET

The belly flap of a fish, usually removed manually from the fillet.

O

OCEAN RUN OR SEA RUN

Industry term for a pack of random weight and size products. Catchweight, or random weight ctns.

OTTER TRAWL

Operated by a single vessel, it is by far the most important of all trawling techniques. The trawl uses two otter boards that are attached to the wings of the trawl by bridles. The otter boards, operated by the forces acting on them when the net is dragged, spread the mouth of the trawl horizontally while a combination of floats and weights maintain the vertical opening.

OVERFISHED

A stock is considered “overfished” when fishing mortality rates remain high enough to cause the population to decline to a point that the spawning stock is unable to reproduce those fish taken by the fishery.

OVERFISHING

Catching too many fish. The harvesting of a specific species of fish beyond a level that will allow the population to be replaced by reproduction.

P

PAIR TRAWLING

Trawls operated by two vessels. Designed to tow very large nets either at the bottom or mid-water.

PASTEURIZING

A process (usually heating) to kill most pathogenic organisms, reduce the total microbial flora, and inactivate enzymes (indirectly).

PPE

(Personal Protective Equipment) Equipment required for working in a certain area, either for safety or sanitary reasons.

PBI

(Pin Bone In) A fish fillet where the pin bones have not been removed.  Usually less expensive than its counterpart, PBO.

PBO

(Pin Bone Out) A fish fillet where the pin bones have been removed.  Usually more expensive than its counterpart, PBI.

PELAGIC FISH

Fish that live either alone or in schools that spend most of their life swimming near the sea surface or in the water column with little contact with the bottom.

PICKING

The process of gathering items from a DC warehouse in order to fulfill an order.

PINBONES

A row of small bones running horizontally along the mid-line of the sides of most fish from the nape for about one third the length of the fish.

POLYCULTURE

Fish farming in which two or more compatible or symbiotic species of fish are grown together. It is also known as multiculture.

PORTION PACK

Product graded so that all pieces in a package are of specified weight or within a specified range of weights.

POSTLARVAE

Animals that have changed from the larval form to the very first stages of juvenile or adult form.

POT VESSEL

A fishing vessel, ranging in size from small inshore boats up to larger factory trawlers, used to set pots for the capture of lobsters, crabs, crayfish and other similar shellfish species.

POTS

Traps in which fish and shellfish can enter voluntarily and will be hampered from escaping. They are designed in such a manner that the entrance itself becomes a non-return device, allowing the fish or shellfish to enter the trap but making it impossible to leave the catching chamber.

POUND NET

A very long net, typically anchored or strung between stakes, used to catch fish. Open at the surface, the trap consists of an arrangement of nets directing fish into an enclosure. In Japan, this group of gear is usually referred to as ‘set-nets’ (not to be confused with the fixed gillnets).

PRECOOKED

Portion that has been cooked or partially cooked, so the product requires only heating or minimal cooking prior to consumption.

PROTECTED AREA

A geographically defined area set aside to achieve specific conservation objectives ranging from the preservation and protection of highly important natural and cultural features and for the regulation of the scientific, educational and recreational use.

PUD

Shrimp that is peeled but not deveined. Peeled-only shrimp.

PURSE SEINE OR SEINE NET

A seine is a very long net with or without a bag in the center. It can be set from either the shore or from a boat in an attempt to surround a certain area. Seines are normally used to catch schooling pelagic species such as mackerel, tuna, sardines, salmon, herring and menhaden. A wall of net is used to encircle a school of fish. The top is floated and the bottom weighted in order to keep the wall in an upright position. Essentially, the fishermen close off the bottom of the net in order to trap the fish in an inverted, umbrella-shaped enclosure.

Q

QUOTA

The maximum number of fish that can be legally landed, either by country, vessel, company or individual fisherman, during a specified time period. Largely used to allocate total allowable catch, quotas can be used also to allocate fishing effort or biomass. Quotas may or may not be transferable, inheritable and tradable. This could also refer to the size of fish.

R

RECOVERY

The amount of usable meat is recovered from the fish.  The yield.

RECRUITMENT

The influx of fish into the exploitable stock by either growth or migration into the fishing area.

RED TIDE

A group of planktons which cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

REEF

An underwater structure, typically comprised of rocks or coral, lying at or near the sea surface, that are the basis for rich communities of living things.

ROUND WEIGHT OR ROUND POUNDS

The weight of the whole fish before processing or removal of any part.

RTE

(Ready To Eat) Food, such as crab meat that is safe to consume in its current state.

S

SASHIMI

Raw fish and shellfish sliced thinly and eaten.

SCAMPI

Another name for large shrimp, usually about 1 oz. or larger. Outside the U.S., the term is also applied to lobster. Also a method of preparation, usually with shrimp, that includes butter and garlic.

SECTION

The three walking legs and one claw on one side of king, snow or Dungeness crab, all attached at the shoulder.

SEINE

The process of corralling fish with a net that hangs vertically in the water. 

SET GILLNET

The only commercially important method in the United States, set nets are more commonly found in the inshore fisheries and put out along the seafloor to catch groundfish. They are deployed vertically where fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets have floats on the upper line and weights on the bottom to keep the net in an upright position.

SET LONGLINE

A set longline consists of a main line and snoods with baited hooks at regular intervals and which is set, in general, on or near the bottom. The main advantage of longlining is the ability to fish a larger area with fewer people onboard.

SHANK FILLET

Fillet where the nugget has been removed.

SHATTERPACK

A box of frozen fish fillets separated by interleaved polyethylene sheets. Dropping the box, “shattering” the pack, can separate fillets.

SHELLFISH

Shellfish include both mollusks, such as clams, and crustaceans, such as lobsters.

SKINNED

Some species of fish are skinned rather than dressed, such as catfish and eels.

SMOLT

A juvenile salmon when it leaves its home river for the first time to enter the sea.

SPAT

The spawn of an oyster or shellfish that commence life as free-swimming individuals then settle onto solid substrate.

SPAWNING

The release of ova, fertilized or to be fertilized, as done by a number of aquatic species to reproduce.

SPECIES

A group of related organisms that share common characteristics and are able to breed together to produce fertile offspring.

STEAK

Slices of dressed fish smaller than chunks. They yield an edible portion of about 86% to 92%. They are ready for cooking.

STERN TRAWLER

A fishing vessel designed for the purpose of operating a trawl, a net that is dragged along the ocean floor or at a specified depth.

STICKWATER

The aqueous fraction from pressing cooked fish in the manufacture of fish meal. Contains amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, and is either added to animal feed or mixed back with the fish meal and dried. Also known as fish solubles.

STOCK ASSESSMENT

The process of collecting and analyzing biological and statistical information to determine the changes in the abundance of fishery stocks in response to fishing and, to the extent possible, to predict future trends of stock abundance. Stock assessments are based on resource surveys, knowledge of the habitat requirements, life history, and behavior of the species. Also used are environmental indices to determine impacts on stocks and catch statistics. Stock assessments are used as a basis to assess and specify the present and probable future condition of a fishery.

STUFFED FISH

Whole dressed fish which are stuffed with dressing/stuffing before cooking.

SURIMI

Japanese for, formed fish, surimi is frozen minced fish which is produced from Skinless fishes such as Alaska Pollock, Hake, Pacific Blue Whiting, Threadfin Beam and etc. In Southeast Asia, the overwhelming majority of Surimi Raw Material comes from Threadfin Beam, Big Eye, Ponyfish, Lizard, Yellow Goatfish and Red Mullet.

SUSHI

Typically raw fish and shellfish thinly sliced and eaten. This is a Japanese word for a Japanese food ritual which has become enormously popular in the U.S. and has spread far beyond specialized restaurants with trained sushi chefs. Sushi includes some raw fish and a number of smoked and cooked products. Tuna and clams are normally served raw. Octopus is cooked. Other seafood is marinated. Although sushi is thought of as raw fish, many of the dishes in fact are not raw.

SUSTAINABLE YIELD

The number or weight of fish in a stock that can be harvested without compromising the stock biomass from year to year assuming that environmental conditions remain the same.

T

TAC

See total allowable catch.

TAGGING

Marking an individual or group of individuals in order to identify it when it will be recaptured. Tagging allows the study of growth, mortality and migration as well as the estimation of the stock size.

TAILS

Fish portion that resembles the tail of a fish, boneless, usually breaded or batter-dipped, raw or precooked. The term is also applied to shrimp and spiny lobster with reference to their meaty tail sections.

TARGET SPECIES

The most highly sought component of the catch targeted by the fishermen in a particular fishery. There may also be a secondary target species.

TED

Turtle Excluder Device.

TEMPERATE WATERS

Waters in the region of higher, cooler latitudes rather than tropical latitudes. Literally, those between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere and the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere.

TEMPURA

A light Japanese-style batter becoming increasingly popular.

TOMALLEY

The lobster’s fat; in effect, its liver. It is a greenish mass found in the head part of the lobster. It is tasty and nutritious, but usually discarded by consumers who are unaware of its value.

TON

In international seafood sales, usually refers to a metric ton (2,205 lbs.).

TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC)

The TAC is the total amount of fish permitted by a management authority to be taken from a stock of a species or group of species by a fishery during a specified time period, usually a year.

TRANSSHIPMENT

The process of transferring the catch from one fishing vessel to either another fishing vessel or to a vessel used solely for the movement of cargo to its final destination.

TRAP FISHING

Fishing by use of stationary nets, barrages or pots in which fish and shellfish can enter voluntarily and will be hampered from escaping.

TRAWL

Trawling is the most important and one of the most efficient fishing methods in the world. It is also the primary method used to harvest bottomfish like cod, haddock and shrimp. The trawl is a cone-shaped net with a wide mouth that tapers into a narrow end where the fish collect.

TROLLING

A fishing method that utilizes natural or artificial baited hooks, trailed by a vessel near the surface or at a certain depth, to target tuna and tuna-like fish. Trolling adds motion to the bait or lure being used.

V

VESSEL CATCH LIMITS

A limit on the quantity each individual vessel can land per trip or period of time.

VIBRO VULNIFICUS

A bacteria naturally present in marine organisms which can cause illness, or even death, if ingested. The bacteria is most prevalent in clams, oysters and scallops. Those with liver disease are more susceptible to illness.

W

WHOLE or ROUND FISH

Fish sold just as they come from the water. They must be dressed before cooking.

Y

YEAR CLASS

The fish spawned or hatched in a given year. For example, all fish born in 2000 would be age 1 in 2001, and age 2 in 2002.

YIELD

The percentage of a fish that is edible or sellable.