Stargazer/Monkfish

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Best Fish Guide: Stargazer/Monkfish

 Ranking: E (Red - Worst Choice)

What's this? 

Description: Stargazer or monkfish is actually one of a few species of stargazer in New Zealand. It (the giant stargazer) is widespread in New Zealand coastal waters between 50 and 500m, living on or partially buried in soft sediments on the seabed. It is caught year round, mainly around the South Island, where it is most common, as a bycatch in domestic trawl fisheries targeting red cod, tarakihi, flatfish, barracouta and scampi. It is also caught as bycatch in some deepwater fisheries.

Ecological concerns: The absence of quantitative stock assessments for any areas, uncertainty over stock boundaries, unknown sustainability of some catch levels and limits and the lack of a management plan. Also of concern is the habitat destruction caused by bottom trawling plus the non-target fish, seabirds and marine mammal bycatch associated with other fisheries in which it is caught.

Economic value: Stargazer is sold in New Zealand and had an export value of about $4 million in 2008, mainly sold to Japan, Latvia and Germany.

ASSESSMENT OUTPUT

Biology and risk of overfishing (score C)
Status and sustainability of fish catches (score D)
Impact of fishing method and protected, threatened and endangered species captures (score E and C)
Management and management unit (score D and B)
 

For a full ecological assessment, click here