New England's Wild Fisheries

New England's wild fisheries have made significant strides towards sustainability in recent years. The region has implemented strict regulations and management plans, resulting in the recovery of several key fish stocks, including Atlantic sea scallops, bluefin tuna and haddock. Fishermen are using more selective gear and adopting practices such as catch-and-release, which help to reduce bycatch and protect vulnerable species. Regulatory agencies keenly monitor our marine ecosystems and fishing boats, which has led to transparency and traceability unmatched elsewhere. Let's look at some of our most popular wild caught seafood:

Tuna

• The temperate Atlantic sea has some of the richest tuna stocks in the world. Most popular are bluefin, yellowfin and albacore tuna. Each species has a unique flavor profile, but all are delicious, meaty and perfect for the grill.
• Tuna stocks declined quite drastically due to the high demand and trawling techniques until the early 2000's. Thankfully, strict regulatory measures were put in place to help heal the wild populations.
• Catch limits, banned fishing methods (no more dragging nets), regional rotations and many more methods came into effect by 2010.
• Now, Atlantic bluefin populations are on the rise for the first time in a century! What's more, fishermen have now benefited from these restrictions since they no longer have to venture far out for weeks to find tuna. 

Haddock

• This New England staple has long supported the East Coast's robust fishing operations. It's a delicate, flaky whitefish with a mild flavor that's perfect for frying or baking.
• Due to Haddock's critical role in maintaining our fisheries, it has always been a sustainable option. Long-standing regulations have kept our wild Haddock populations healthy, especially in George's Bank, globally known for its Haddock and Scallops.

Atlantic Sea Scallops

• Whether you're frying up jumbo scallops or making chowder with tiny bay scallops, there's no better place than New England. A nutrient-rich, shallow sandbar stretches for hundreds of miles up along the Northeast. The gulf stream feeds these cool waters year round, allowing for huge populations of scallops, oysters and clams to flourish.
• Wild scallop fishermen rotate through regions to let wild populations recover and grow. It's a sustainable model emulated around the world.
• It's important to note the difference between wet and dry scallops. Wet scallops are plumped up with water and additives, which lets sellers boost profits. Dry scallops have no added water weight and no chemical additives, thus being "dry." All of Svenfish's scallops are dry, ensured through traceable suppliers to the harvest boats.

Swordfish

• These huge fish rule the sea, often reaching over 1,000lbs. In the summer months, swordfish move North along New England's coast, following their prey in search of the North's nutritious waters.
• Similar to tuna, swordfish are highly prized by fishermen and sporters alike. Their Atlantic populations were declining for many years, but strict catch limits and fishing technique bans have let their wild populations recovery quickly. They're hardy, fast-growing fish and New England is dedicated to maintaining sustainable swordfish fisheries. 
• When in season, Svenfish get swordfish right from Massachusetts and Connecticut docks. Talk about crazy fresh! In order to maintain our wild stocks, we source swordfish abroad as well when New England's season ends and another opens elsewhere. This movement helps lessen the impact that year-round fishing used to have and lightning fast shipping makes sure it's fresh, no matter where it's from.

Bluefish

• This Cape Cod staple is one of the most migratory fish in the sea. It's not the most popular nationwide, but us New Englander's can't get enough of it when it's in season. 
• Bluefish are rich and succulent with stronger flavors than mild whitefish like haddock. They grill well skin-on and the assertive flavor profile is always fun to experiment with in the kitchen.
• The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has implemented a management plan for bluefish, which includes setting quotas and monitoring catch limits. It's difficult to monitor migratory populations, but technology has let us understand the ecosystem's health like never before. 

Svenfish offers many, many more wild caught options. Lots of fish are seasonal or depend entirely on what comes in on the docks on any given day. It's fresh, it's local, and sometimes you never know what's the boats will bring it. That's half the fun! While we source wild caught seafood locally whenever it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. Seasons, catch limits and migratory patterns all influence where the freshest, most sustainable seafood comes in. Luckily in New England, that's quite frequently the case. However, in an effort to let our wild stocks stay healthy, we disperse our sourcing when necessary.