Products

New Zealand Seafood

ORANGE ROUGHY

Orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) is a deep water species, mainly taken by deep sea trawls at depths of 750 to 1200m. 

Although the fish has a reddish body and bluish-tinged belly regions, it turns orange after catch (hence the name).

Orange Roughy Fishery

New Zealand pioneered the orange roughy fishery in the 1970's and although catches have declined since then, we still remain one of the world's largest suppliers. Catches are mainly from the Chatham Rise, the southern part of the South Island's West Coast and some parts of the Challenger Plateau. 

New Zealand's orange roughy fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of orange roughy to be taken commercially each year. This Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) was set at 11,062 metric tonnes for the 2009/10 fishing year.

Orange Roughy Exports

Orange roughy exports in the year ending December 2009 were worth $NZ 51 million. 

Orange roughy is mainly exported as frozen fillets, although some is sent in either chilled or processed form. 60% goes to the United States, with China and Australia being up the next largest markets.

Orange Roughy Meat Quality

Orange roughy has a delicate shellfish-like flavour, with firm, pure white flesh high in Omega 3 Oil. The skin and subcutaneous layer is rich in an oil that can be used in a range of cosmetic and related applications. 

Product Details

FILLETS SKIN OFF

A Sustainable Fishing Resource Harvested According to the New Zealand Quota Management System

Scientific Name

Hoplostethus atlanticus

Product Profile

Length: 30-40 cm

Weight: 0.8-1.6 kg, up to 3.5 kg

Availability: Year-round, but mainly from May to August

For more information on New Zealand Seafood see our Industry web page www.seafoodindustry.co.nz

Array