Fishing Methods

Gillnets (anchored and staked)

Target Species

In mid-Atlantic: Bluefish and Spanish mackerel

On-Board Handling Methods

One or more nets are set and continually worked. Fish are manually removed from the net as it is fished along its length. All nets are removed at the end of the fishing day. These are small open boats, lacking holds. Commonly, much of the catch is non-food fish species. The food fish are separated by species and placed in tanks or tubs on deck.

Chilling Methods

Food fish are placed on ice or in ice-chilled seawater onboard.

Storage Methods

Fish are held iced in tubs on the deck or in iced seawater tanks until they are offloaded.

Off-loading Methods

Boxed food fish are lifted onto the dock by hand or by hoist.

Time-Temperature Controls

The nets are fished at least every 6 hours while they are in the water. Fish are cooled by crushed ice or slush-ice. They may be iced on deck in tubs and trucked without reicing or, if weighed on the dock, are re-iced at that time for transporting to the processing plant. If chilled onboard in ice slush, they are boxed and iced at the dock for shipping. Icing entails placing a layer of ice in the bottom of each box, filling with approximately 20-25 pounds of fish, layering with ice, adding another 20-25 pounds of fish and top icing. Histamine-forming species (bluefish and Spanish mackerel) are iced first. Boxes of iced fish are transported to the processing plant in an enclosed insulated truck.

Monitoring Time and Temperature

A form is completed on the boat during harvesting which identifies, 1) the date, 2) the net i.d. number (if fishing more than one net), 3) time that each net is soaked, 4) time that the last fish is iced, and 4) the initials of the record-keeper. The cooling method (for histamine species) is also identified on the form. Any fish that are not iced within 6 hours of submerging the net (or 6 hours since last fished) are discarded or are held in ice and found to be acceptable when analyzed according to procedures described in U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance.

Applicable Forms

"Cooling Record for Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel" (download plan and form)
The completed form is provided to buyer when fish are delivered (received by buyer).