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Haddock

Sushi name(s): None
Haddock

Haddock

At a glance

Eco-rating Mercury Omega-3s
+-U.S. haddock (Gulf of Maine)
Best
Moderate

More about Haddock

One of the common North Atlantic groundfish, or bottom-dwellers, the streamlined silvery haddock lives in moderately shallow water over rocky or sandy bottoms. Unlike other ground-dwellers, it prefers to live in schools. It often appears at dinner tables but is also used in fishmeal and animal feed. It grows up to 3 feet (0.9 meter) and has been reported to live 20 years.

Commercial Sources

Haddock are found in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic, they occur from the Barents Sea in northern Europe to the Bay of Biscay off France, and around Iceland. In the western Atlantic, they range from the Strait of Belle Isle in Newfoundland to Cape May in New Jersey.

The main sources of haddock are the United Kingdom and Norway, followed by Iceland and the Russian Federation. Haddock sold in the U.S. market are primarily from Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United States.

Capture Methods

Haddock come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets, hooks-and-lines and seines.
+-Icelandic haddock
OK
Moderate

More about Haddock

One of the common North Atlantic groundfish, or bottom-dwellers, the streamlined silvery haddock lives in moderately shallow water over rocky or sandy bottoms. Unlike other ground-dwellers, it prefers to live in schools. It often appears at dinner tables but is also used in fishmeal and animal feed. It grows up to 3 feet (0.9 meter) and has been reported to live 20 years.

Commercial Sources

Haddock are found in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic, they occur from the Barents Sea in northern Europe to the Bay of Biscay off France, and around Iceland. In the western Atlantic, they range from the Strait of Belle Isle in Newfoundland to Cape May in New Jersey.

The main sources of haddock are the United Kingdom and Norway, followed by Iceland and the Russian Federation. Haddock sold in the U.S. market are primarily from Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United States.

Capture Methods

Haddock come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets, hooks-and-lines and seines.
+-U.S. haddock (Georges Bank)
OK
Moderate

More about Haddock

One of the common North Atlantic groundfish, or bottom-dwellers, the streamlined silvery haddock lives in moderately shallow water over rocky or sandy bottoms. Unlike other ground-dwellers, it prefers to live in schools. It often appears at dinner tables but is also used in fishmeal and animal feed. It grows up to 3 feet (0.9 meter) and has been reported to live 20 years.

Commercial Sources

Haddock are found in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic, they occur from the Barents Sea in northern Europe to the Bay of Biscay off France, and around Iceland. In the western Atlantic, they range from the Strait of Belle Isle in Newfoundland to Cape May in New Jersey.

The main sources of haddock are the United Kingdom and Norway, followed by Iceland and the Russian Federation. Haddock sold in the U.S. market are primarily from Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United States.

Capture Methods

Haddock come from marine fisheries, not fish farms. They are primarily caught with bottom trawls. Additional types of fishing gear include gillnets, hooks-and-lines and seines.

These ratings are provided in partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program, © 1999-2018 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation

Recommended servings per month

Contaminant Men Women Kids 6-12 Kids 0-5
Icelandic haddock Mercury 4+ 4+ 3 2
U.S. haddock (Gulf of Maine) Mercury 4+ 4+ 3 2
U.S. haddock (Georges Bank) Mercury 4+ 4+ 3 2

This chart shows how much can safely be eaten each MONTH (assuming no other contaminated fish is consumed). The advice is based on EPA guidance and the latest mercury data. More on contaminants »

Eco details: 
  • U.S. and Canadian haddock populations crashed in the 1990s, but have rebounded to all-time highs in recent years.
  • Haddock caught by hook-and-line is a better choice, but most is still landed by bottom trawls and gillnets, which also catch depleted groundfish like cod and flounder.
  • In New England, haddock is now caught under an innovative new ‘sector’ management plan. Discards in the fishery have dramatically decreased, sector fishermen stayed under their catch limits for all groundfish species, and less gear was deployed compared to previous years.