another info from greenpeace...

Atlantic halibut
Atlantic, common or white halibut is one of the largest of the flatfish. Atlantic halibut grow slowly and mature late, making it vulnerable to overfishing. They live on the ocean bottom in varied depths of water and, like a chameleon, take on protective coloration to match the sand, mud or gravel of its surroundings. Atlantic halibut has a long history of commercial exploitation due to being a very popular table fish in both North America and Europe as far back as the late 1800s.


bluefin tuna
This fish is the largest species of tuna reaching lengths of up to ten feet long and weights of 1,500 pounds. Bluefin tuna are the world's most valuable fish for sushi because of its high oil content. An individual bluefin can be worth over $30,000.00 at the Tokyo fish auction. The high demand bluefin has taken its toll leaving severely depleted populations throughout its range. Bluefin also contains elevated levels of mercury and PCBs.

Chilean sea bass
Also called Patagonian toothfish, Chilean sea bass is one of the most sought-after fish in the world. The Chileans were the first to market toothfish commercially in the U.S., earning it the name Chilean sea bass, although it is really not a bass and it is not always caught in Chilean waters. The U.S. is the largest market for Chilean sea bass, followed by Japan and China. The once-obscure fish became a culinary celebrity during the 1990s however fish populations cannot keep up with the demand. Unless people stop eating Chilean sea bass, it may be commercially extinct within five years.

hoki
Hoki is a white fish and has different regional names such as blue hake, blue grenadier, and whiptail. In the U.S., hoki is mostly used in restaurants, though it's seldom noted on menus. Fast-food chains like hoki for its versatility and interchange it with pollock or cod. Most Americans have no clue that hoki is often what they're eating in fried-fish sandwiches and fish and chips.

orange roughy
Also called the slimehead, deep sea perch or red roughy, the orange roughy is a sedentary fish that dwells in deep cold waters. A slow-growing, late-maturing fish, orange roughy is one of the longest-living fish (up to 149 years) in the sea. In the U.S., orange roughy is sold skinned and filleted, fresh or frozen. In restaurants they are seen as a delicacy.


sharks
Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems and their stocks are in serious trouble. Sharks are harvested for their fins, meat, or liver oil. The most valuable part of a shark is usually its fins, which are the principal ingredient of shark fin soup. This traditional Chinese delicacy is increasingly in demand as, thanks to a booming Chinese economy, more people are able to afford it. More than one hundred million sharks are killed every year by commercial fisheries. Shark-finning and fisheries in which sharks are caught as bycatch are the greatest threats to sharks.

albacore tuna
Thunnus alalunga
Albacore is the only tuna species that may be marketed as "white meat tuna" in the U.S. and contributes to the bulk of the country's canned tuna supply.

Where they live
Albacore tuna is a highly migratory fish found throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. While albacore found in the North and South Pacific and the South Atlantic are fairly abundant, those in the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Mediterranean Sea are in shorter supply.

How they're caught
Longlining is the most common method used to catch albacore worldwide. Albacore is also caught by trolling and pole and line (a type of hook-and-line gear).

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Albacore tuna matures early, has a moderate life span, and produce a lot of eggs, making it inherently resilient to fishing pressure. Still, high levels of fishing have resulted in declining populations.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Longlining fishing method results in the bycatch of threatened or endangered sea turtles, sharks and seabirds in large numbers. Leatherback sea turtle, albatross and marlin species have critical stock status and are a particular concern for this fishery. Since there are no integrated international laws to reduce bycatch, international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these threatened or endangered species.
Habitat Impacts
Scientists estimate the global oceans have lost 90% of their large predators, such as tuna. The cascading impacts on ocean ecosystems due to the loss of top predators is only now beginning to be understood.
Poor Fishery Management
International management of this highly migratory species provides no comprehensive observer program in the Atlantic, no requirement for reporting in logbooks and no bycatch plan in place. This results in incomplete data collection and reporting.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing further adds to uncertainties about albacore populations.

Atlantic cod or scrod
Gadus morhua
Most people associate Atlantic cod as the white fish found in popular fish and chips meals. Atlantic cod, a groundfish that hovers at the seafloor, grows fast and breeds at an early age. Many Atlantic cod stocks plummeted in the 1990s due to overfishing, and rebuilding efforts have not yet succeeded.

Where they live
Atlantic cod live along the seafloor on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. They can be found in Canadian and United States waters from Greenland to North Carolina, and along the coasts of Europe.

How they're caught
The primary fishing method for Atlantic cod is bottom trawling which involves dragging large nets across the seafloor. Fishermen also use gill nets, longlines, and hook and line to catch Atlantic cod. Atlantic cod are also targeted by pirate fisheries.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Atlantic cod are overfished in U.S. waters and seriously depleted in Canadian waters. Despite strict management in the U.S. and Canada, cod stocks in these waters remain overfished and some Canadian populations are listed as endangered. Most populations in the northeastern Atlantic are also in poor condition.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling is the most common method used to catch Atlantic cod. Bottom trawling damages the seafloor, impacting marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate and incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch.
Habitat Impacts
Severe depletion of cod has led to observed change in the food web in Eastern Canadian waters where other animals have moved into the niche that cod had previously filled.
Poor Fishery Management
U.S. and Canadian fisheries managers have closely studied population levels and implemented several regulations but were unable to prevent the extreme decline of cod stocks. Poor management continues to threaten the Atlantic cod's recovery.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing of cod in closed areas in the north eastern Atlantic are ongoing problems and contribute to declining stocks.
Fishing Communities Impacts
Coastal communities have lost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars as a result of the decline in Atlantic cod.


Atlantic halibut
Hippoglossus hippoglossus
Atlantic, common or white halibut is one of the largest of the flatfish. Atlantic halibut grow slowly and mature late, making it vulnerable to overfishing. They live on the ocean bottom in varied depths of water and, like a chameleon, take on protective coloration to match the sand, mud or gravel of its surroundings. Atlantic halibut has a long history of commercial exploitation due to being a very popular table fish in both North America and Europe as far back as the late 1800s.

Where they live
Atlantic halibut are found in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic, they occur from the Barents Sea in northern Europe to the Bay of Biscay off France, and around Iceland. In the western Atlantic, they range from Greenland and Labrador to Virginia.

How they're caught
Halibut is caught using a variety of destructive fishing methods including bottom trawling, gill netting and longlining, all of which are associated with high bycatch including marine mammals.

Why they're of concern
Stock Status
Atlantic Halibut populations in U.S. and Canadian waters crashed in the 20th century due to overfishing and remain depleted today. There is no commercial fishery for Atlantic halibut in the U.S., although, they are still caught as bycatch in other fisheries. Atlantic halibut is now listed as endangered by the IUCN.
Destructive Fishing Methods
The ecosystem impacts of removing this major predator are not known because they have not been studied, but similar removal of other major predators has had cascading effects on ecosystem structure.
Fishing Communities Impacts
A rebuilt, healthy stock of Atlantic Halibut could add substantial economic benefits to coastal fishing dependant communities.

Atlantic salmon
Salmo salar
Atlantic salmon's popularity has increased dramatically in recent years, in large part because of growing consumer interest in eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Atlantic salmon is endangered in the wild, so virtually all Atlantic salmon sold commercially is farm raised.

Where they live
Wild Atlantic salmon are found swimming in the waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the Atlantic. Most farmed salmon comes from Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom and Chile. In the U.S., Maine and Washington also operate salmon farms.

How they're farmed
Salmon are farmed in open net pens and cages in coastal areas or in freshwater lakes.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Wild Atlantic salmon is listed as endangered in the U.S., and is seriously depleted in its entire range in North America and Europe. In many rivers, Atlantic salmon is extinct.
Destructive Fishing Methods
The feed most commonly used for salmon farms consists of wild forage species. Salmon farming uses three pounds of wild fish to grow one pound of farmed salmon, which puts pressure on wild populations.
Habitat Impacts
Salmon farms may use pesticides and antibiotics to control outbreaks of disease among the fish. Chemicals and waste from most salmon farms are released directly into waters surrounding the farms. When consumers eat farmed salmon, they may also be eating residues from chemicals used in the farms.
Habitat Impacts
In some areas of the world where there is intensive salmon farming, coastal ecosystems have been altered resulting in declines of native species. Salmon farming endangers wild salmon populations. Parasites and diseases from farmed salmon can spread to wild fish swimming near the farms. When farmed salmon escape from salmon farms, they compete for food with wild fish, crowd natural spawning grounds and dilute the genetic pool of wild salmon species by interbreeding with them.
Fishing Communities Impact
In many areas, salmon farms have displaced local access to coastal resources or caused collapse of coastal food webs resulting in serious impacts local communities

Atlantic sea scallop
Placopecten magellanicus
Scallops, recognized for their beautiful outer shell, use a strong, circular muscle to clap their shells together, letting them "fly" through the water out of harm's way. It is this circular (abductor) muscle that is prized as seafood.

Where they live
The sea scallop burrows in the sandy bottom of the ocean floor. They live in the North and Mid-Atlantic Oceans. The population in the Mid-Atlantic region (North Carolina to New York) is currently being overfished.

How they're caught
To get the scallops out of the sand, fishermen typically use scallop dredges but may also use bottom trawling or, to a limited extent, may pick by hand.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
In the mid-Atlantic region, scallop stocks are currently being overfished. Since scallops grow fast, fishermen don't take a break from capturing them. Large areas of scallop habitat are dredged or bottom trawled at an extremely high frequency. This increases the damage to the habitat and provides no time for recovery.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Scallop dredging involves dragging heavy steel nets across the seafloor and, like bottom trawling, is very destructive to the seafloor. Dredging and trawling damages seafloor structures, like corals and sponges, which many species depend on for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators.
Habitat Impacts
Bycatch in the scallop fishery includes deep-sea corals and sponges, barndoor skates, and yellow tail flounder. Every year, this fishery kills nearly 1,000 loggerhead sea turtles while they are foraging in scallop beds in the mid-Atlantic.
Poor Fishery Management
The management of sea scallops operates to maximize profits to the industry and has little regard for the impacts on other fisheries, habitat or endangered sea turtles. Areas that are set aside to help rebuild groundfish populations, are designated as habitat for juvenile cod or are popular foraging areas for sea turtles are still accessed by the scallop dredge fleet.
Fishing Communities Impact
The habitat destruction caused by scallop dredging and trawling negatively impacts cod and other groundfish species, resulting in a huge negative economic impact on fishing dependent communities all along the eastern U.S. and Canada.


bigeye tuna
Thunnus obesus
A valuable tuna prized for its sashimi-quality flesh, bigeye is found throughout the world's oceans and the long-term ecosystem effects of removing large predators such as tuna are not fully understood. Bigeye tuna is sometimes referred to as ahi, as is yellowfin tuna.

Where they live
Bigeye tuna is a highly migratory species found in the subtropical and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are caught in commercial fisheries throughout the world.

How they're caught
Longline fishing is the most common method used to catch bigeye, but other gears such as purse seines, trolling and pole and line (a type of hook-and-line gear) are also used.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Although bigeye matures and reproduces quickly, the population is declining. The bigeye stocks are in poor shape globally, with excessive fishing mortality on all of the stocks, as well as declining biomass in general. In the Atlantic, population declines have been occurring since the early 1990s.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Longlining results in the bycatch of threatened or endangered sea turtles, sharks and seabirds in large numbers. Albatross and marlin species have critical stock status and are a particular concern for this fishery. Since there are no integrated international laws to reduce bycatch, international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these threatened or endangered species.
Habitat Impacts
The removal of large predators, like bigeye, from the ocean ecosystem may affect the interaction between all levels of species in the marine food web. Scientists estimate the global oceans have lost 90% of their large predators, such as tuna. The cascading impacts on ocean ecosystems due to the loss of top predators is only now beginning to be understood.
Poor Fishery Management
Agencies that manage bigeye fisheries do not have a comprehensive international enforcement program in the Atlantic of Pacific. This means that some countries have less strict regulations, allowing for more overfishing.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing is a problem for the species. Unreported catches of bigeye tuna by pirate longliners pose a risk to the certainty of their populations.
Fishing Communities Impacts
Many small developing Pacific island nations could increase their revenue with healthy bigeye stocks for their local fishing fleets to harvest -- instead of outsiders coming in to take the profits

bluefin tuna
Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus maccoyii, Thunnus orientalis
This fish is the largest species of tuna reaching lengths of up to ten feet long and weights of 1,500 pounds. Bluefin tuna are the world's most valuable fish for sushi because of its high oil content. An individual bluefin can be worth over $30,000.00 at the Tokyo fish auction. The high demand bluefin has taken its toll leaving severely depleted populations throughout its range. Bluefin also contains elevated levels of mercury and PCBs.

Where they live
Bluefin tuna are usually found in temperate seas, but because it's one of the few fish that has the ability to regulate its body temperature, they often feed in cool northern seas that hold an abundance of prey species. They range from the Gulf of Mexico north into Canada at least as far as Newfoundland and from Norway down to North Africa. The Mediterranean Sea is a major spawning and nursery area for N. Atlantic bluefin.

How they're caught
Fishermen use a variety of methods to catch bluefin tuna, including longlines, pole and line, fish traps and purse seines. Recently bluefin are being "ranched" where juvenile fish are caught by seining and then transferred to floating pens and grown to market size. This practice is exceptionally damaging to their population as none of those fish are ever allowed to spawn.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Bluefin are slow to mature and many young fish are caught before they've had a change to reproduce, making them extremely vulnerable to fishing pressure. Bluefin tuna are severely depleted and still being overfished. The Atlantic population has declined by nearly 90% since the 1970s. The North Atlantic population is approaching commercial extinction.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bycatch is very high with the use of longlines and purse seines. Thousands of sea turtles, sharks and marine mammals are entangled in this gear, endangering their populations. Since there are no integrated international laws to reduce bycatch, international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these threatened or endangered species.
Habitat Impacts
Scientists estimate the global oceans have lost 90% of their large predators, such as tuna. The cascading impacts on ocean ecosystems due to the loss of top predators is only now beginning to be understood.
Poor Fishery Management
Fishery scientists have recommended to the managers to reduce the amount of bluefin killed for many years and this scientific advice has fallen on deaf ears because of their high market value. Southern bluefin have been experiencing overfishing for many years because of under reporting by the Japanese fleet.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing remains a problem throughout the world's tuna fisheries.
Fishing Communities Impacts
Because of the lack of fish, both the recreational and commercial fisheries for Atlantic bluefin tuna along the eastern U.S. have collapsed. This has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to coastal communities


Chilean sea bass
Dissostichus eleginoides
Also called Patagonian toothfish, Chilean sea bass is one of the most sought-after fish in the world. The Chileans were the first to market toothfish commercially in the U.S., earning it the name Chilean sea bass, although it is really not a bass and it is not always caught in Chilean waters. The U.S. is the largest market for Chilean sea bass, followed by Japan and China. The once-obscure fish became a culinary celebrity during the 1990s however fish populations cannot keep up with the demand. Unless people stop eating Chilean sea bass, it may be commercially extinct within five years.

Where they live
Chilean sea bass is a deep-water species caught in southern ocean waters near and around Antarctica.

How they're caught
Chilean sea bass are caught using hooks attached to longlines that are strung behind fishing boats. Some Chilean sea bass is caught in waters off the coast of Chile, then iced and shipped to the U.S. fresh. However, the majority of Chilean sea bass is harvested in distant waters of Antarctica, frozen onboard factory vessels, and shipped several weeks to several months later. Both fresh and frozen Chilean sea bass are available for consumption in the U.S.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Chilean sea bass stocks are seriously overfished and depleted. Chilean sea bass is a long-lived, slow growing fish that does not reach maturity until at least 10 years of age, making the species very vulnerable to overfishing.
Destructive Fishing Methods
The baited hooks of the long-lines used to catch Chilean sea bass attract sea birds, including endangered species such as petrels and albatrosses. The birds get caught on the hooks, and then are dragged underwater and drown. Sharks, skates, and rays are also caught incidentally and killed in this fishery.
Habitat Impacts
Chilean sea bass is a major predator, and the cascading effects on the ecosystem as a result of removing this species have not been determined.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing is a major issue in the fishery, and makes effective management very difficult. In 2000, more than 16,000 tons of Chilean sea bass were legally harvested in the Antarctic management area. Estimates vary, but there may be up to twice that amount taken illegally. Some estimate that pirate fishing takes up to 80% of the catch.


Greenland halibut
Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
The Greenland halibut is a strange-looking, but popular seafood that lives in the deep, cold waters of the north Pacific and north Atlantic oceans. The halibut's left eye is positioned on its forehead, giving it an appearance of a cyclops when looking straight at it. Greenland halibut are long-lived, slow growing and mature late, making it very vulnerable to overfishing.

Where they live
Greenland halibut are widely distributed in the Northwest Atlantic. Their range covers a geographical area from Smith Sound, between Greenland and Canada, southward throughout Baffin Bay and Davis Strait to the northeastern coast of the U.S. and eastward along eastern Greenland to Iceland.

How they're caught
As a deep-water fish, the Greenland halibut is caught by bottom trawling.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
The Greenland habitat stock is overfished, overfishing is still occurring and the stock is showing no signs of recovery.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling damages the seafloor, impacting marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate and incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch.
Habitat Impacts
The Greenland halibut fishery routinely catches critically endangered species such as onion-eye grenadier and roundnose grenadier, and other moratoria species such as Atlantic cod, American plaice and white flounder. Total bycatch can be as high as 60% of the entire catch in some months.
Poor Fishery Management
Management measures were implemented in the mid-1990s, but ten years later the average fish size and overall population level continue to decline


grouper
Epinephelus morio
There are more than 85 species of grouper found worldwide. Groupers are relatively long-lived (up to 40 years) and reproduce for only a short period of time, making them especially vulnerable to overfishing.

Where they live
Temperate and tropical oceans worldwide

How they're caught
Red grouper are a bottom-dwelling fish that are caught by hook and line methods, longlining and gillnetting.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
The life history (long life, late maturity) of grouper make it vulnerable to overfishing. Most grouper populations, including those in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, have been overfished and overfishing is still occurring. Some populations have unknown status.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Fishing methods used in the grouper fishery are responsible for significant incidental catch. Bycatch includes sea turtles, juvenile groupers and other species of grouper that are protected by law.
Habitat Impacts
Red grouper are among top predators in the reef community food chain. Removal of this fish disrupts the balance of the fragile reef ecosystem.
Poor Fishery Management
Problems persist with management of U.S. grouper fisheries in setting catch limits higher than those recommended by scientists.


hoki
Macruronus novaezelandiae
Hoki is a white fish and has different regional names such as blue hake, blue grenadier, and whiptail. In the U.S., hoki is mostly used in restaurants, though it's seldom noted on menus. Fast-food chains like hoki for its versatility and interchange it with pollock or cod. Most Americans have no clue that hoki is often what they're eating in fried-fish sandwiches and fish and chips.

Where they live
Hoki are caught off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Older fish live offshore at mid-water levels and typically spawn on topographic features like seamounts or canyons.

How they're caught
Hoki is taken by offshore mid-water trawling and bottom trawling. The main fishing season runs between June and September when the fish are spawning.

Why they're of concern
Stock Status
Both the Australian and New Zealand hoki stocks are at or close to their lowest populations levels ever. Overfishing is the main cause of hoki's decline. The primary fishing season is during spawning when hoki aggregate, resulting in catches predominantly made up of juveniles. By taking too many young fish, the population cannot grow and rebuild. Scientists say that the odds of the hoki population recovering are low.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling damages seamount and canyon habitats, impacting marine areas that are important to the survival of other species. The ongoing bycatch of deep sea-corals in the hoki fishery indicates that trawls are continually occurring in new areas. Many species depend on coral and sponge habitats for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate and incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch.
Habitat Impacts
Bycatch in the New Zealand hoki fishery includes protected sharks, marine mammals and seabirds. Of particular concern are fur seals, albatross, petrels and basking, porbeagle and school sharks.
Poor Fishery Management
Some positive steps have been taken in the hoki fisheries, but considerable cause for concern remains. The Marine Stewardship Council certified the fishery, but in the time since certification the stock has continued to decline, catch levels have been reduced, and bycatch remains a significant problem.

monkfish
Lophius americanus
This bottom fish was at one time discarded when caught incidentally in the Atlantic cod and scallop fisheries. As these other fisheries declined, monkfish began to be marketed as gourmet fare. Unfortunately, high demand has encouraged heavy fishing and populations have become overfished off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Where they live
Monkfish can be found on sand, mud and broken shell bottoms from shallow, coastal waters to over 2,625 feet depth in the areas between the Grand Banks and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada south to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

How they're caught
Monkfish are usually caught using bottom trawls, and to a lesser extent using gillnets. Monkfish is also harvested as bycatch in the scallop fishery where it is caught using scallop dredge.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
As catches of other groundfish like cod and halibut declined, more and more fishermen began to go after monkfish in the mid-Atlantic and New England waters and now monkfish populations are severely overfished.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling and dredging damage the seafloor, impacting marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Bottom trawling incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch.
Habitat Impacts
Dredging and bottom trawling often result in high incidental catch of other fish species that are discarded as bycatch. Bycatch in the scallop fishery, in which monkfish is sought as bycatch, includes deep-sea corals and sponges, barndoor skates, and yellow tail flounder and nearly 1000 loggerheads sea turtles every year.
Poor Fishery Management
U.S. monkfish stocks are assessed bi-annually but management has not prevented over fishing.


ocean quahog
Arctica islandica
Ocean quahogs, a clam, are among the longest lived, slowest growing marine organisms in the world. Ocean quahogs off Southern New England, in the mid-Atlantic Bight and on Georges Bank can live over 200 years.

Where they live
The geographic range of the ocean quahog is extensive. This species is found on the east coast of North America, off the southern coast of Iceland and along the European coast northward from the Bay of Cadiz, Spain, around the British Isles, in the North Sea, and off the Norwegian coast to the White Sea in Russia.

How they're caught
The principal gear used in the fishery is a hydraulic clam dredge, which use jets of water to dislodge ocean quahogs from sediments.

Causes for concern
Destructive Fishing Methods
The hydraulic dredges have severe impacts on seafloor habitats, including long-term changes to the seafloor structure through the creation of furrows. Fishery experts have concluded that all types of dredges have very high impacts on physical and biological habitat. Damaging the seafloor impacts marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators.
Habitat Impacts
Bycatch is another problem with this fishery. Bycatch includes worms, soft corals, lady crabs, rock crabs and horseshoe crabs in their search for quahogs.
Poor Fishery Management
Management has not addressed the effects of clam dredging on habitats and ecosystems.


orange roughy
Hoplostethus atlanticus
Also called the slimehead, deep sea perch or red roughy, the orange roughy is a sedentary fish that dwells in deep cold waters. A slow-growing, late-maturing fish, orange roughy is one of the longest-living fish (up to 149 years) in the sea. In the U.S., orange roughy is sold skinned and filleted, fresh or frozen. In restaurants they are seen as a delicacy.

Where they live
Orange roughy live in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans. In the eastern Atlantic, they range from Iceland to South Africa. In the Indo-Pacific, they are distributed around New Zealand and off Chile. Orange roughy sold in U.S. markets are primarily from New Zealand, China, Namibia and Australia.

How they're caught
Orange roughy are primarily caught with bottom trawls on and around topographic features like seamounts and canyons where the fish aggregate to spawn. The main fishing season is from June to August, during the spawning season, when fish come together in aggregations and are easier to catch. Since they live in deep waters, it is only with the use of advanced technology that the fish can be located and caught.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Many orange roughy stocks have already crashed, namely in New Zealand and Australia where they were first exploited in the late 1970s; and recently discovered stocks are decreasing rapidly. The fish are slow growing and late maturing, life history characteristics that lead to stocks having difficulty recovering once depleted. Orange roughy is the first commercially sought fish to be added to Australia's list of endangered species because of overfishing.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling damages seamount and canyon habitats, impacting marine areas that are important to the survival of other species. Bycatch in the orange roughy fishery has been shown to damage tree coral, a very slow growing coral that can live for 300 to 2,000 years. Many species depend on coral and sponge habitats for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate and incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch.
Habitat Impacts
Virtually every animal caught as bycatch in the orange roughy fishery dies because of the extreme depths that the fishery operates. Bycatch species include deep-sea sharks and dogfish, deep-sea catfish, slickheads, rattails and Basketwork eels

pollock
Theragra chalcogramma
Pollock are considered one of the most important fish resources in the world with 2.2 million tons caught each year valued $2 billion dollars worth of fish. Pollock serve as important prey for many marine mammals and are also consumed by humans in many forms -- most commonly as fish sticks or breaded fish fillets.

Where they live
Pollock live throughout the Northern Pacific with the largest population located in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. They thrive in mid-bottom waters dwelling up to 3,281 feet in depth.

How they're caught
They are mostly fished using mid-water trawling and some bottom trawling.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Alaska pollock stocks in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Chain and Bogoslof area have not recovered from overfishing. For the last 5 consecutive years, survival of juvenile pollock has been well below average. The significant level of fishing during the winter spawning time further jeopardizes the long-term viability of pollock populations.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Midwater trawling is the primary method for catching pollock but it often comes in contact with the seafloor, causing significant damage. Trawling damage to the seafloor impacts marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Trawling for pollock occurs in several known coral and sponge habitats.
Habitat Impacts
Pollock is an important forage species for endangered Steller sea lions and northern fur seals, whose populations have declined sharply as fishing has removed millions of tons of their prey. There is increasingly clear evidence that pollock fisheries are jeopardizing the recovery of endangered Steller sea lions. Concern is also growing that the massive industrial pollock fisheries may be responsible for the rapid disappearance of northern fur seals from the once massive rookeries on the Pribilof Islands. In addition to marine mammals, several species of fish-eating pelagic sea birds are in decline in the same areas where intensive pollock fishing takes place.
Habitat Impacts
Bycatch in the pollock fishery is huge given the scale of the fishery. Crab, salmon, and groundfish species are routinely caught as bycatch. In 2007, 130,000 chinook salmon were caught as bycatch in the pollock fishery, setting a bycatch record that alarmed fishing dependent communities, environmentalists, and fishery managers.
Poor Fishery Management
Alaska pollock are identified as a major forage species, yet the North Pacific Management Council (NPFMC) manages the fishery for maximum sustainable catch without setting aside enough fish to meet nutritional needs of dependant animals, fish, and sea birds.
5 Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and heavy fishing pressure on the Russian side of the Bering Sea is having an unknown impact on Alaska pollock stocks.
Fishing Communities Impact
Pollock overfishing has an adverse effect on Alaska native communities throughout the southern half of the Bering Sea and the Aleutians, as well as the Gulf of Alaska. Localized depletion is forcing local fishermen to travel farther and farther offshore in search of fish that were once plentiful right off the beach, and in the process to face increasing risks for diminishing returns. The fishery also has a negative impact on native communities in Canada. In 2007, DNA sampling of chinook salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery revealed that more than 26,000 fish were of Yukon river origin. As a result of the huge bycatch in 2007, some First Nation subsistence communities upriver in the Canadian Yukon were not allowed to catch their full chinook sustenance quota that year.


redfish
Sebastes marinus, Sebastes fasciatus, Sebastes mentella
Redfish is a slow-growing, deepwater fish with bright-red or orange-red coloring. They are called redfish in New England and eastern Canada and should not be confused with redfish from the Gulf of Mexico, which are different. Ocean perch is a leading retail product in the Midwest, where the name "perch" is an easy sell because of its freshwater connotation.

Where they live
Redfish live in deep waters up to a depth of 3,000 feet. They live off the North/Northwest Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America.

How they're caught
Redfish are caught using bottom trawls and pelagic trawls.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Redfish are vulnerable to overfishing because they are slow growing, long-lived and, even though they spawn every year, few young survive. Most stocks are now at historical lows and are considered depleted. By the mid-1950s, redfish stocks throughout the Northwest Atlantic were heavily exploited, and total landings began to decline in all sub-areas. Landings from the Gulf of Maine increased temporarily during the late 1970s, but have been declining throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Recent landings from this stock have remained at their lowest level since the 1930s.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Bottom trawling damages the seafloor, impacting marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate and incidentally catches other fish and marine animals that are dumped overboard as bycatch


red snapper
Lutjanus campechanus
Red snapper are a prized seafood and are caught commercially, as well as recreationally. They are a slow growing species that mature late. Many are caught before they have had a chance to reproduce.

Mislabeling of red snapper for consumers is a big problem with this fish. Genetic studies have shown that many fish sold as red snapper in the U.S. are not actually red snapper, but other species.

Where they live
Red snapper is a reef fish that inhabits the continental shelves of the Gulf of Mexico and northwest Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, to Massachusetts. They stay relatively close to the bottom, and inhabit rocky bottom, ledges, ridges, and artificial reefs, including offshore oilrigs and shipwrecks.

How they're caught
Commercial fishermen generally take snapper species with bottom longlines, wire-mesh fish traps, and vertical hook and line. Red snapper is also caught as bycatch in the shrimp fishery.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Due to the life history characteristics of the Red Snapper (longevity of 50 years or more and late maturity), it's very susceptible to overfishing. The Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock is currently overfished by commercial and recreational fisheries. Also, high bycatch from shrimp fisheries result in the mortality of millions of juvenile red snapper.
Destructive Fishing Methods
The weights and lines used to fish red snapper can damage coral habitat, but the extent of the impacts is not known.
Habitat Impacts
The bycatch rate in the Gulf of Mexico fishery is 44% of the total catch, amounting to several hundred thousand pounds of finfish and sharks every year. Bycatch includes black sea bass, snappers, porgies, sharks, grunts, amberjacks, and groupers.
Poor Fishery Management
Management has failed to end overfishing of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stocks and return red snapper stocks to healthy and sustainable levels. Instead of reducing the total allowable catch to scientifically acceptable levels to rebuild the stock, unproven technology to reduce bycatch in shrimp trawls and highly ineffective size limits were employed. At the same time, fishery managers set the total allowable catch at 50 percent above the level recommended by scientists.


sharks
superorder Selachimorpha
Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems and their stocks are in serious trouble. Sharks are harvested for their fins, meat, or liver oil. The most valuable part of a shark is usually its fins, which are the principal ingredient of shark fin soup. This traditional Chinese delicacy is increasingly in demand as, thanks to a booming Chinese economy, more people are able to afford it. More than one hundred million sharks are killed every year by commercial fisheries. Shark-finning and fisheries in which sharks are caught as bycatch are the greatest threats to sharks.

Where they live
Sharks are highly migratory and regularly cross national boundaries. Sharks range from the poles to the tropics and everywhere in between, they are worldwide in distribution. However, outside of Antarctica, there are no international limits on shark harvest.

How they're caught
Sharks are targeted by longlines and gillnets. Many are caught as bycatch in other fisheries. Seines, bottom trawls, hook and line, traps and just about all other gear types can have a bycatch of sharks.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Shark populations have plummeted, and it is estimated that only 10% of original populations remain. Sharks are long lived, and they mature slowly and give birth to a few young at a time, making them highly vulnerable to overfishing. Many shark species are overfished, threatened or listed as endangered. Depleted populations of sharks can take several decades to recover.
Destructive Fishing Methods
Midwater gillnets used to catch sharks have very high bycatch rates of marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles and billfish.
Habitat Impacts
Removing top predators like sharks can have significant cascading effects on ecosystems. Overfishing of great sharks in U.S. Atlantic waters has led to major ecosystem alterations, including huge population increases of shark prey species like cownose rays. The explosion of cownose ray populations has contributed to the devastation of a century-old bay scallop fishery.
Poor Fishery Management
Many species of shark are highly migratory, so fall outside of any one nation's jurisdiction. Few countries have management plans for sharks in their waters and where management exists, different species are often grouped together making it difficult to accurately assess stock structure and populations declines. The lack of information undermines improvements to management.

skates and rays
superorder Batoidea
Previously discarded as "trash fish," skates have become an increasingly important bycatch in other bottom trawl fisheries as the populations of other bottom-dwelling fish (such as cod and haddock) have declined.

Where they live
Skates are bottom-dwellers that live throughout the world's oceans.

How they're caught
Most skates and rays are caught as bycatch in groundfish bottom trawl fisheries.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Skates and rays, like their close relatives the sharks, are highly vulnerable to overfishing because they grow slowly, are long-lived and have few young. Barndoor skates are severely depleted and are candidates for being listed as endangered species. Thorny skates are in decline and are listed as a species of special concern.
Destructive Fishing Methods
The majority of skates are caught as a result of bottom trawling. Bottom trawling damages the seafloor, impacting marine habitats that are important to the survival of groundfish and other species. Many species depend on seafloor structures like coral and sponges for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators.
Habitat Impacts
Bottom trawling is also indiscriminate, catching both intended and unintended species. These unintended species are often unmarketable, illegal or undersized fish that are subsequently discarded dead or dying as unwanted bycatch.
Poor Fishery Management
The skate fishery was unregulated before 2003 and little fishery data was collected before then. Data on skates and rays is deficient in most regions of the U.S. as well as worldwide. In the Northeast, a fishery management plan was put into place but management remains hampered due to a lack of data on four of seven Northeast skate species


swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Known for its sharp, pointed bill which is used for protection and hunting prey, swordfish are a highly migratory billfish prized by both recreational and commercial fishers. In addition to U.S. fisheries, more than 20 countries catch swordfish, including Singapore, Brazil, Panama and South Africa.

Where they live
Swordfish live in temperate seas all over the world including the Pacific Ocean off California, Oregon and Hawaii.

How they're caught
Longlines, a fishing method that results in the bycatch of threatened and endangered species, are the most common gear used to catch swordfish worldwide.

Causes for concern
Habitat Impacts
Fishing swordfish with longlines results in the bycatch of threatened or endangered sea turtles, sharks and seabirds in large numbers. Since there are no integrated international laws to reduce bycatch, international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these threatened or endangered species.
Poor Fishery Management
Due to strict bycatch regulations in the U.S., longline-caught swordfish from these fleets is the only exception in the international fisheries that otherwise have unacceptable levels of bycatch. The fisheries in the waters off California, Oregon and Hawaii are well managed and are a good alternative to most imported sources.
Pirate Fishing
In the international swordfish fisheries, many nations have no comprehensive enforcement plan to prevent overfishing. Illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing vessels add further uncertainty to the issue of bycatch and overfishing in the pelagic longline fishery.

tropical shrimp
Metapenaeus monoceros, Penaeus spp.
Tropical shrimp, both farmed and wild caught, are warm water species. About 80% of the world's wild caught shrimp is tropical.

Where they live
Tropical shrimp live in the warm water areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the shrimp farmed around the world comes from economically disadvantaged tropical nations, including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Ecuador, China, Bangladesh, Belize and Vietnam.

How they're caught
Wild caught shrimp are harvested with cast nets, haul seines, traps and beam trawls, but bottom trawling remains the most often used gear for offshore fishing. Farming methods for farmed shrimp range from simple ponds located in coastal areas to high-tech inland systems that filter and re-circulate their water.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
There are environmental problems with how most tropical shrimp are caught or farmed.
Destuctive Fishing Methods
Tropical shrimp farms are often located in coastal areas displacing local species and disrupting coastal food webs. About 3.7 million acres of coastal mangroves have been converted to shrimp farms, destroying important habitat for fish, birds and people. Untreated wastewater from some farms pollutes the coastal environment and contaminates groundwater. Disease and chemicals used in shrimp farming also contaminate surrounding waters. Farming shrimp also requires, on average, two pounds of wild fish to grow one pound of farmed shrimp and, as a result, farming shrimp actually uses more fish than it produces.
Habitat Impacts
Bottom trawling for shrimp results in significant damage to seafloor habitats, including areas used by other species for feeding, breeding and hiding from predators. Also, trawling for wild shrimp has the highest bycatch of any commercial fishery. For every pound of shrimp hauled in, 3 to 15 pounds of unwanted animals die in the process. Shrimp trawling incidentally catches and kills more than 1.8 million tons of marine life each year, including turtles, sharks and other animals--accounting for more than 25% of the world's wasted catch. Most bycatch, either dead or dying is thrown overboard.
Fishing Communities Impacts
Shrimp farming has displaced small-scale sustainable fisheries and coastal communities. The placement of shrimp farms often blocks access to coastal areas that were once common land in use by many local people. Non-violent mass protests against the industry have frequently been countered with threats and intimidation, and there are reports from at least 11 countries of protesters being murdered. In Bangladesh alone, there have been an estimated 150 murders lined to aquaculture disputes.

yellowfin tuna
Thunnus albacares
Yellowfin tuna are named for their bright yellow finlets, and dorsal and anal fins. This large tuna species can be black, dark blue or greenish on top with a yellow or silver belly. Yellowfin is a staple of the tuna canning industry and most often appears in the market as canned light tuna. It's also known as ahi when sold fresh and frozen, and is commonly found on sushi menus.

Where they live
Yellowfin tuna can be found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They migrate long distances throughout the year.

How they're caught
Most canned yellowfin are caught by purse seine fleets. Purse seines, even when "dolphin-safe," can take a heavy bycatch of unwanted fishes and other animals (including young tunas, sharks, and other pelagic fishes). Yellowfin are also caught by troll, handline, poll and line gear, and pelagic longlines.

The most serious threat to yellowfin tuna is the commercial fishery. This species is a popular target and the type of catch (purse seine) can capture huge schools at a time. In the U.S., yellowfin tuna is one of the primary fish for canned consumption.

Causes for concern
Stock Status
Overfishing of yellowfin is occurring throughout the Pacific Ocean. Fishing mortality in the Indian Ocean has increased dramatically since the mid-1980s. It has been estimated that fishing of yellowfin need to be reduced by 50% if the health of the population is to be restored.
Destructive FIshing Methods
Vulnerable marine life such as, sea turtles, sharks, sea birds, sea turtles and marine mammals are routinely caught as bycatch in the yellowfin fishery. Since there are no integrated international laws to reduce bycatch, international longline fleets are contributing heavily to the long-term decline of some of these threatened or endangered species.
Habitat Impacts
Scientists estimate the global oceans have lost 90% of their large predators, such as tuna. The cascading impacts on ocean ecosystem due to the loss of top predators is only now beginning to be understood. In the tropical Pacific, large-scale commercial fishing has been linked to ocean ecosystem changes, such as declines in large predator populations and increases the abundance of smaller species.
Poor Fishery Management
Management of yellowfin is generally week and precautionary limits are not being set. Few tuna fleets have independent observers on board to record vessel operations. This lack of supervision makes it much easier for fishermen to under-report their catch.
Pirate Fishing
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing remains a problem throughout the world's tuna fisheries.
Fishing Communities Impacts
The Pacific provides about 60% of the world's tuna each year and foreign fishing fleets make millions of dollars from sales in Japan, the US and Europe. Unfair and unsustainable seafood agreements negotiated by foreign countries mean that Pacific nations are usually only receiving 5-6% of the value of the catch caught by vessels in their waters. This puts a strain on the local economy and communities.