Sea Perch
The sea perch is a distinctive reddish-orange white flesh fish found throughout New Zealand waters, more commonly off the East Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Rise.
The Department of Conservation describes it as delicate and moist with a medium texture. It has visible flakes when cooked. Seaperch fillets are usually skinned before retail. The flesh is a fairly good source of niacin and protein.
SeaPerch is a traditional fish commonly found in New Zealand cuisine. It has an oblong shape and is completely flat with two equal sides to it. The sea perch can be described as having a tender, white flesh that flakes easily when cooked. These fish live at depths of between 300m to 1000m deep during the day, coming up to shallower waters at night. The sea perch has a cylindrical body with small eyes on either side of its head near the upper jaw structure. It also has two fins, one dorsal fin running along its back and another ventral fin underneath its body.
SeaPerch is a distinctive reddish-orange white flesh fish found throughout New Zealand waters, more commonly off the East Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Rise.
The flesh has a medium texture and is firm with moderately high oil content, resulting in an overall waxy feeling, similar to that of hake or mahi-mahi. Seaperch can be cooked in many ways, including baking, frying, grilling, and poaching. It is often floured or breaded before cooking. The skin of sea perch can become tough when it is overcooked so it should be removed before eating if necessary. Due to their naturally high oil content, however, sea perch are not at risk of becoming dry during cooking.
Seaperch flesh is delicate with a mild flavor and slightly sweet. It is often marketed in Asian countries as ‘orange roughy’, however, it is unrelated to the old world fish species which have oilier flesh with a more pronounced iodine "fishiness" when cooked.
The sea perch is a distinctive reddish-orange white flesh fish found throughout New Zealand waters, more commonly off the East Coast of the South Island and the Chatham Rise.
Global sea perch production
Sea perch is a popular seafood choice around the world, and its global production has been on the rise in recent years. In 2016, global sea perch production reached 1.37 million metric tons, up from 1.21 million metric tons in 2015. The vast majority of sea perch is produced in Asia, with China accounting for the lion's share at 1.08 million metric tons in 2016. Other major producing countries include Indonesia, India, and Thailand. Together, these four countries account for over 90% of the world's sea perch production.
The rise in global sea perch production is largely due to increased demand from key markets such as the United States and Europe. In the United States, sea perch consumption has been on the rise in recent years, due to its mild flavor and versatility. The European Union is also a major market for sea perch, with Germany and the United Kingdom being the biggest consumers. As consumer demand for sea perch continues to grow, it is likely that global production will continue to increase in the years to come.