Antarctic toothfish belong to the family Nototheniidae. They are grayish with a broad head, elongate body, long dorsal, with large pectoral fins - they by and large resemble an overgrown blue cod in shape and form.

Antarctic Toothfish Fishery

Antarctic toothfish are found in the cold seas surrounding Antarctica in depths ranging from 200 to over 2000 meters. The main fishery is in the Ross Sea to the south of New Zealand during the summer months when the sea ice thaws. This thaw happens to a greater or lesser extent seasonally. Fishable grounds are accessible dependingl on the degree of this ice clearance.

They are caught on 'demersal' longlines mainly at depths ranging between 700-1800 meters.

The Antarctic toothfish fishery is strictly managed under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources http://www.ccamlr.org. CCAMLR is an international treaty agreed by New Zealand and 24 other nations. These nations form a Commission that manages Antarctic fisheries with the goal of preserving species diversity and stability of the entire Antarctic marine ecosystem while allowing for rational harvesting of marine life.

New Zealand companies fishing in the Antarctic are also members of the Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators Inc. (http://www.colto.org/). This organisation was established by legal industry members to eliminate IUU fishing for toothfish.

Toothfish Meat Quality

Toothfish flesh is white with high oil content.

Toothfish is exported mainly to the United States, where it is sold for $NZ60-$70/kg . Toothfish is not generally available in New Zealand because of the high prices available in overseas markets.