Haddock

SIZE :

From 30 cm to 50 cm, up to 112 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY :

From 15 to 20 years.

LIFE CYCLE :

Sexual maturity around 3 to 5 years.

Spawning takes place in the spring. Females can lay up to 200,000 eggs close to the bottom. The eggs are round and transparent. Once fertilized, after about two weeks, they rise to the surface. The fry live on the surface waters until mid-summer, where they feed on plankton.

After the spawn, juvenile fish sink to the bottom, where they will live until they reach breeding age. They can grow from 5 cm to 10 cm per year.

Close to the bottom, between 50 m and 200 m deep, in cold waters between 4 ° C and 10 ° C.

Haddock seek out rocks and hard bottoms of sand, gravel or shells.

They follow seasonal migrations: to deeper waters in the winter to avoid the cold, and to the open sea in the summer.

PREYS :

Small invertebrates
Fish

ENGINS :

Trawls, longlines, handlines, gillnets.

Haddock rarely venture into Quebec waters. It is therefore rarely caught here, even as an incidental catch.

In Canada, haddock fishing has been strictly regulated since 1987. Over-fishing and the deterioration of its habitat have led to a decline in its population. Moreover, the fish being caught are getting smaller and smaller.

BENEFITS :

With its lean flesh, haddock is a good source of protein, vitamins B3, B6 et B12, as well as selenium. It is generally free of heavy metals. It is very rich in iodine.

LET’S COOK :

Texture fine et ferme. Chair blanche. Saveur délicate et légèrement sucrée.

NOS CONSEILS CULINAIRES :

• When purchased fresh, haddock should have firm and resistant flesh covered with a transparent membrane.
• Do not over-cook.
• Its binding texture makes this fish the perfect base for fish cakes.
• It can be pan-fried, breaded, smoked, steamed, or en papillote… Cod recipes also work well and its flesh holds up a little better.