Blue Whiting

The blue whiting is an oceanic fish, which occurs on both sides of the Atlantic, often in huge shoals on the eastern side. Trawlers fishing in deep water for other species have taken large quantities, inadvertently. So far, the species has not been exploited commercially, but the possibility is being considered. British fishermen, for example, if they had the necessary equipment and could gear themselves to what would be a major but seasonal fishery, could take a million tons annually from waters within 200 miles of the British coasts. This is a tempting prospect, but the success of the operation would depend on the development of suitable machinery for processing what are rather small fish, and on the acceptability of the product to the consumer. This catalogue entry is therefore an anticipatory one.