Evaluation of Deep Water Fish Species

Interest in sourcing high quality non-quota fish species continues to increase as fish quotas tighten and traditional whitefish stocks decline. Quality aspects of one such species, silver smelt. (Argentinus silus), were examined in an article in Farm and Food, October-December 1991. This work has now been extended using spot samples of a further six deep water, non-quota species caught in the Atlantic off the north west coast of Ireland. The tests, which will continue on an annual basis, are a co-operative effort between staff at The Fisheries Research Centre and The National Food Centre. The six species evaluated were Bairds smoothead (Alepocephalus bairdii), blue ling, (Molva dypterygia), black scabbard(Aphanopus carbo), rabbitfish (Chimaera monstrosa), roundnose grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris) and greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides). Details of catching, procurement and fish characteristics are reported from The Fisheries Research Centre, while tests for proximate analysis, water holding capacity, gel strength, and colour were carried out at The National Food Centre using samples which were blast frozen at sea.