Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

• In the Atlantic Ocean, bluefish population levels are high and overfishing is not occurring.
• Following a decline of the blue fish stock, management measures implemented in 1990 have been successful in rebuilding stocks.
• Bluefish are an excellent source of selenium, niacin, and vitamin B12, and a good source of magnesium and potassium. For more on nutrition, see Nutrition Facts. (USDA)
• Bluefish is an excellent fish to eat and is marketed mostly fresh or smoked. The United States and Turkey account for the majority of worldwide bluefish catch.

Sustainability Status

Biomass: In the Atlantic Ocean, bluefish biomass is 95% of the biomass needed to support maximum sustainable yield. Biomass estimates are unknown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Overfishing: No (Atlantic); Unknown (Gulf of Mexico)
Overfished: No (Atlantic); Unknown (Gulf of Mexico)
Fishing and habitat: The recreational catch of bluefish accounts for the majority of landings and has few impacts on habitat. In the commercial sector, gillnets are the principal gear used and account for approximately 40% of landings. Other gears used include hook and line, pound nets, seines, and trawls.
Bycatch: Approximately 60% of bluefish is caught with hook and line, which has relatively low bycatch rates. Bycatch for the other gear types used in the commercial sector ranges from moderate to high.
Aquaculture: There is currently no commercial aquaculture of bluefish in the U.S.

Science and Management

Bluefish are jointly managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission through a fishery management plan (FMP) implemented in 1990. The Bluefish FMP was implemented to halt the decline of the stock and restore the population to sustainable levels. Current management measures include an overall annual landings quota in which 17% of the quota is allocated to the commercial fishery and 83% is allocated to the recreational fishery. The total commercial quota is divided into state specific quotas, and a portion of the recreational quota may be transferred to the commercial sector if recreational landings are predicted to be below the annual allocation. The recreational fishery also has a 15-fish bag limit that has been in place since 2001.

Life History and Habitat

Life history, including information on the habitat, growth, feeding, and reproduction of a species, is important because it affects how a fishery is managed.

• Geographic range: Bluefish can be found in most temperate coastal areas throughout the world, except the eastern Pacific. Along the U.S. Atlantic coast, bluefish are found from Maine to Florida.
• Habitat: Eggs are released into the open ocean. Larvae develop into juveniles near the surface in continental shelf waters and eventually move to estuarine and nearshore shelf habitats. Juveniles prefer sandy bottoms but will also inhabit mud, silt, or clay bottoms or vegetated areas. Adults use both inshore and offshore areas and favor warmer water.
• Life span: Up to 12 years.
• Food: Bluefish are voracious predators, feeding primarily on squid and fish, particularly menhaden and smaller fish such as silversides.
• Growth rate: Fast.
• Maximum size: Up to 39 inches and 21 pounds.
• Reaches reproductive maturity: At age 2 and 19 inches in length.
• Reproduction: Depending on size, fecundity (reproductive potential) has been estimated to range from 400,000 to 2,000,000 eggs.
• Spawning season: Spring and summer.
• Spawning grounds: Bluefish spawn in the South Atlantic Bight during the spring, and again in the offshore waters of the Middle Atlantic Bight during summer.
• Migrations: Bluefish migrate seasonally with as water temperatures change. In the winter, large bluefish tend to remain in the Middle Atlantic Bight then move south to North Carolina by March. Small fish move farther south in winter; some spend the winter off the coast of Florida. As water temperatures rise, bluefish migrate back north in the South Atlantic Bight, and by summer, bluefish move further north into the Middle Atlantic Bight.
• Predators: Sharks, tunas, and billfishes are the only predators large and fast enough to prey on adult bluefish. Oceanic birds prey on juvenile bluefish.
• Commercial or recreational interest: Both
• Distinguishing characteristics: Bluefish are blue-green on the back and silvery on the sides and belly. They have a pointed snout and a prominent jaw, with sharp, compressed teeth.

Role in the Ecosystem

Bluefish make up a major part of the diet of shortfin mako shark (about 77.5%). Makos consume between 4.3 and 14.5 % of the bluefish resource between Georges Bank and Cape Hatteras. Bluefish are also very important in the diets of swordfish.

Additional Information

Market name: Bluefish
Vernacular names: Tailor, Snapper

Biomass

Biomass refers to the amount of bluefish in the ocean. Scientists cannot collect and weigh every single fish to determine biomass, so they use models to estimate it instead. These biomass estimates can help determine if a stock is being fished too heavily or if it may be able to tolerate more fishing pressure. Managers can then make appropriate changes in the regulations of the fishery.

Biomass peaked in 1982 at 303,000 metric tons, declined to 84,200 metric tons in 1996, and has since increased to 139,500 metric tons in 2006. The Bluefish FMP was implemented in 1990 to halt the decline of the stock and restore the population to sustainable levels. A 9-year rebuilding plan was implemented on Jan 1, 2001. The bluefish stock must be rebuilt by Dec 31, 2009. The stock has been increasing but is still slightly below the target biomass.

Landings

Landings refer to the amount of catch that is brought to land. Commercial landings ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 metric tons during the 1950s and 1960s, increased during the 1970s and 1980s, peaking at 7,466 metric tons in 1981, and then declined throughout the 1990s. Commercial landings in 2006 were 2,900 metric tons.

Recreational data is also presented because the recreational fishery has historically accounted for 80 to 90% of the total catch. Recreational landings peaked in 1981 and 1985 at over 43,000 metric tons. Recreational landings have averaged over 19,000 metric tons since 1982, but have been less than 8,000 metric tons since 1995, and were 7,700 metric tons in 2006.

Note: Both U.S. commercial and recreational landings are shown in the graph.

Biomass and Landings

Biomass and landings data can sometimes be used to detect trends in a fishery. They may influence each other, and factors such as changes in management measures, fishing effort, market preferences, or environmental conditions may impact landings and biomass as well.

Data sources:
Biomass and landings from NOAA Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Status of Fisheries Resources off the Northeastern U.S. - Bluefish

Important Dates

Late 1970s – Potential markets for bluefish in Africa and South America stimulate tuna purse seiners to consider harvesting bluefish
1979 – Concerned recreational anglers petition Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to develop a management plan for bluefish
1980s – Bluefish is one of top three recreational species along the Atlantic coast; from 1979 to 1987, more bluefish (by weight) were landed by anglers coastwide than any other fish
1984 – Bluefish FMP completed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries Service, the New England and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; plan is rejected by the Secretary of Commerce but concern for the resource remains
1989-1990 – Current Bluefish FMP prepared by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and adopted by the Council in 1989 and by NOAA Fisheries Service in 1990; management measures include a license to sell bluefish and limits on the amount of bluefish an angler or vessel can possess; allocates 17% of the total catch to the commercial fishery
1996 – Amendment 1 to the FMP is developed; reduces the commercial allocation to 17% of the quota
2001 – A 9-year rebuilding plan is implemented. The bluefish stock must be rebuilt by Dec 31, 2009.

Notes and Links

General Information:
NOAA Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Status of Fishery Resources off the Northeastern US - Bluefish

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission - Bluefish page

NEFSC Essential Fish Habitat Source Document - Bluefish

NOAA Fisheries Service Sustainability Species Identification for Bluefish

Fishery Management:
Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP)

History of Bluefish FMP Development

Stock Assessments:
2005 Bluefish Assessment Summary