Fish Quality
Fish Quality Management
Fishermen are well aware that it is in their own interest to maintain the quality of their catch as this has a direct impact on the price they obtain at market. They make sure the fish they catch are handled correctly, gutted properly and stored in iced boxes, each weighing a maximum of 40kg. These actions keep quality levels high prior to returning to port.
The role of the night shift staff
Whilst the landed fish are waiting in the refrigerated area night shift staff will carry out temperature checks of selected boxes and record them in a quality control sheet to ensure quality is maintained. They will also note any issues or procedural errors that could affect pricing. Problems noted will be brought to the attention of BTA Operations Director, Neil Watson, to follow up with the trawler skipper and / or owner.
The fish are then sorted and graded by species and weight and re-packed into BTA fish boxes. These boxes are then re-iced ready to be sold at auction.
Specific Quality Checks
After the sorting and grading process Mark Owen, BTA Quality Control Manager, carries out a series of quality checks on each individual species to confirm the fish:
- Have been gutted correctly
- The gills are red indicating freshness
- Has slimey fading gills
- Eyes are clear, not cloudy and dull looking
Quality Control
All boxes on the auction floor will contain a tally which will provide further detailed information on the fish including the boat it was caught on, the species, the weight and the area in which it was caught. Indeed, it will also record whether the fish is damaged. All helping the buyer to decide on the quality of the fish he is buying.
BTA, and indeed Brixham, prides itself on the quality of the fish landed and sold. Therefore, all the quality control checks that are put in place mean that the quality remains the best and the reputation of fish caught in the English Channel remains very high.
Quality Grades
| Quality Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| A, Dayboat | Waxy, slight loss of translucent appearance to the mucus, flesh slightly soft to touch, slightly opaque pupils, pink colouration of the gills and maybe scale loss. In the case of Bass there could be red around the heads and bellies, and during cuttlefish season there could be signs of cuttle stains under the scales. |
| E+, Dayboat | Bright shiny iridescent skin and firm flesh, eyes should convex with black pupils and translucent corneas, dark or bright red gills, translucent mucus. |
| E, Dayboat | Translucent appearance to the mucus, flesh firm to the touch, slightly opaque pupils, red or pink colouration of the gills. |
| E2, Dayboat | Dull, bleaching of the skin, slightly concave eyes, grey pupil, opaque cornea, mucus either grey or brown, opaque and thick, round fish with either green or split stomachs |
| A+, Beam Trawler | Bright shiny iridescent skin and firm flesh, eyes should convex with black pupils and translucent corneas, dark or bright red gills, translucent mucus. |
| A, Beam Trawler | Waxy, slight loss of translucent appearance to the mucus, flesh slightly soft to the touch, slightly opaque pupils, red or pink colouration of the gills. |
| A2, Beam Trawler | Dull, bleaching of the skin, slightly concave eyes, grey pupil, opaque cornea, mucus either grey or brown, opaque and thick, round fish with either green or split stomachs. |
| Esc A, Dredged | By-catch fish. In general, category A quality fish, but with some minor damage such as scuffing to the skin, scuffs, digs, and dredge marks. Maybe slightly more than normal reddish in appearance due to the method of fishing. |
| Esc A2, Dredged | By-catch fish. Sub-standard in quality due to either being poorly looked after at sea, or from damage from the dredges (such as scrapes and tears in the flesh). Fish may contain sand under the skin and in and around the gut. |
| B | Yellow/brown, thick and clotted mucus, eyes completely sunken, grey pupils, cornea opaque and discoloured. |
| Methods of Catch | DRB; Dredged | FPO; Potted | GNS; Gill Nets | LHP; Handline and Pole line | OTB; Bottom Otter Trawl | OTT; Otter Twin Trawl | TBB; Beam Trawl |