Barry Nash

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The Biology of Bluefish

Posted on June 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

North Carolina Fisheries

Credit: Duane Raver

Bluefish are characterized by a blue-green back with silvery sides and belly, a pointed snout and sharp, compressed teeth. They are found along the U.S. Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida. Bluefish are aggressive predators and feed on squid and fish, especially menhaden.

Bluefish can live as long as 12 years, reach up to 39 inches in length and weigh as much as 21 pounds. They migrate seasonally according to changes in water temperature. During winter, large bluefish tend to remain in the mid-Atlantic region and then move south to North Carolina around March. Small bluefish will move farther south during winter. As water temperatures rise, they will migrate northward.

Bluefish are important to both recreational and commercial fishermen. Approximately 60 percent of bluefish are caught with hook and line, which has relatively low bycatch rates. This species is managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. In the Atlantic Ocean, bluefish populations are high and overfishing is not occurring.

For more information on bluefish, go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/bluefish.htm.

Contributed by Barry Nash

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Posted in North Carolina Fisheries

Cooking Seafood

Posted on February 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

SEAFOOD IS SAFE TO EAT

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Rinse raw seafood under cold, running water to remove bacteria.
Always marinate your seafood under refrigeration, never at room temperature.
Cook seafood thoroughly with a continuous heat source because interrupted cooking could promote bacterial growth. Keep hot foods at 140⁰ F or higher and cold foods at 41⁰ F or lower.
Never leave cooked seafood at room temperature for more than 30 minutes.
Cook seafood for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, and measure at the thickest point. If baking, cook at 450⁰ F and deep fat fry at 375⁰ F. Add five minutes to your total cooking time if your fish is cooked in a sauce or is wrapped in foil or parchment. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends fish reach an internal temperature of 145⁰ F for 15 seconds.
The FDA recommends that in-shell oysters be steamed four to nine minutes or broiled three to five minutes after gaping. Shucked oysters should be fried for three minutes at 375⁰ F; broiled, three minutes three inches from the heat source; baked, 10 minutes at 475⁰ F; or boiled, three minutes.
Clams should be steamed for four to nine minutes.