Patagonian toothfish

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patagonian Toothfish

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Nototheniidae
Genus:	Dissostichus
Species:	D. eleginoides

Binomial name

Dissostichus eleginoides
Smitt, 1898

The Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is a large fish found in the cold, temperate waters (from 50 to 3850m) of the Southern Atlantic, Southern Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands. A commercial fishery exists for Patagonian Toothfish; the meat is sold under the trade names Chilean Sea Bass in the USA, Merluza Negra in Argentina and Uruguay, and mero in Japan, and high prices are paid for it. A close relative, the Antarctic toothfish, Dissostichus mawsoni, is found farther south, around the edges of the Antarctic shelf.

The average weight of a commercially caught toothfish is 9-10 kilograms (20 pounds) with large adults occasionally exceeding 200 kilograms (440 pounds). They are thought to live to fifty years, reaching a length of 2.3 metres (8 feet).

Patagonian toothfish feed largely on squid, fishes, and prawns and, in turn, constitute a large part of the diets of sperm whales, Southern Elephant Seals, and colossal squid.

[edit] Illegal fishing

The illegal capture and sale of the Patagonian toothfish has led to several arrests. Illegal overfishing threatens the species in some areas, as it is slow-growing, reaching maturity between ten and twelve years of age. The longline fishery has also been criticised for drowning thousands of seabirds, including albatrosses.

In the last few years the management of several fisheries has improved, however, with increased patrolling for illegal vessels and stringent regulations for legal operators. Although overfishing and illegal 'pirate fishing' are still problems in places, the Marine Stewardship Council has certified the fishery in South Georgia for sustainable management. South Georgia has the largest Toothfish fishery, with a TAC (Total Allowable Catch) of around 3000 tonnes per year, taken by approximately ten vessels.

Illegal catches may be up to five times the legal catch limit. As a direct result, some researchers have predicted a total collapse of the fishery within two to five years. Called the "white gold of the Southern Oceans," illegal toothfish catches are unloaded at so-called "pirate ports" in countries such as Namibia and Mauritius. The fish are then sold on the black market, a single sashimi-grade specimen fetching as much as USD $1,000.

The Patagonian toothfish lives in deep waters (from 300 to 3,500 metres) on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands, such as the exclusive economic zone of the French Southern Territories (Kerguelen Islands) and around South Africa's Prince Edward Islands, and Australia's Heard Island and McDonald Islands. In the past, France sold some fishing rights to Japanese and other foreign fisheries; because of overfishing, now fishing is reserved for fisheries from Réunion Island. Because of poaching, the French Navy patrols the zone and has made numerous arrests and seizures. Australian Customs vessels have pursued illegal toothfishing ships up to 6100 kilometres at times. [1]

Illegal fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean is hazardous not only for the fish themselves, but for other wildlife in and around the waters. According to The Antarctica Project, "It is common practice in the illegal fishery to dynamite the [Sperm and Killer] whales when they are discovered in the area where the fishing takes place" and "...hundreds of thousands of endangered albatrosses and petrels dive for the [fish] bait and become hooked and drowned."

[edit] References

Clover, Charles. 2004. The End of the Line: How overfishing is changing the world and what we eat. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7
Dissostichus eleginoides (TSN 642807). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 19 March 2006.
"Dissostichus eleginoides". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.