GROPER

Scientific Name

Polyprion oxygeneios

Product Profile

Length: 80-100 cm, reaching 150 cm

Weight: 6 kg average, up to 20 kg

Availability: October to May

Groper belong to the Percichthyidae family.  The body is dark blue-grey or grey-brown above and white below with small scales.  Smaller fish are a more distinctive blue.

Groper Fishery

Groper are caught around New Zealand most commonly over or near rocky areas to depths of 250 metres and often in association with Bass (P americanus).  Collectively both species are managed under the HPB TACC.

In particular, Groper are caught off the east coast of the North Island, in Cook Strait, off Kaikoura and off the west coast of the South Island.

New Zealand's Groper (and Bass) fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of the species to be taken commercially each year. This Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) was set at 2,182 metric tonnes for the 2009/10 fishing year.

Groper Meat Quality

Groper has firm white flesh with few bones.  It has heavy flakes when cooked, makes good steaks and smokes well.

Product Details

DRESSED TAIL ON
FILLETS SKIN OFF
SMOKED FILLETS SKIN ON

A Sustainable Fishing Resource Harvested According to the New Zealand Quota Management System