Sustainability
IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated
Barracouta were widely fished in Australia in the 1930-50s, however the popularity of this fish (and thus the fishery) has declined. There is no current sustainability study on these fish. However when it was monitored, the findings were that fluctuations in catch were affected more by weather than the state of the fishery. The main commercial fisheries are now seen in South Africa and New Zealand and are controlled by Total Allowable Catch quotas.
Barracouta (also known as snoek) is a species of snake mackeral found throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
It is predominantly found in the cooler waters around the southern coasts of Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, although it occurs throughout the southern oceans.
Barracouta has an oily meat and is a particularly bony fish, although the bones are predominantly large and easily removed. The fish has very fine scales that are practically undetectable, making scaling unnecessary. The meat has a distinctive taste and is particularly popular in South Africa.
Commercially barracouta is sold predominantly as fresh, frozen or smoked meat although it can also canned.
Common Names
Barracouta, Couta, Snoek, Cape Snoek, Snook
Sustainability
IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated
Barracouta were widely fished in Australia in the 1930-50s, however the popularity of this fish (and thus the fishery) has declined. There is no current sustainability study on these fish. However when it was monitored, the findings were that fluctuations in catch were affected more by weather than the state of the fishery. The main commercial fisheries are now seen in South Africa and New Zealand and is controlled by Total Allowable Catch quotas.
Nutritional Information
Serving size: 100g
| Calories | 119 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated | 1 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 1 g |
| Monounsaturated | 1 g |
| Trans | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 63 mg |
| Sodium | 120 mg |
| Potassium | 460 mg |
| Total Carbs | 0 g |
| Dietary Fibre | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
Image Attribution:
Thyrsites atun, Barracouta or snake Mackerel by Brian Gratwicke licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.