Wolffish: It's ugly but not 'endangered'

PORTSMOUTH — It may be ugly and it may be delicious, but Atlantic wolffish is not an endangered species, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced earlier this month.

With large jagged fangs, bulging brown eyes, a big nose, fat lips and the complexion of a rubber boot, the Atlantic wolffish has a face even a mother would find reprehensible. But the eel-like fish with jaws that can break an arm and an affinity for tasty crustaceans — and can fetch upwards of $4.50 per pound at the market — was the focus of a Conservation Law Foundation petition last year, which sought to protect the species through the federal Endangered Species Act.

In response to the petition, NOAA assembled a biological review team last year to study the CLF's claim that modern fishing equipment has destroyed wolffish habitats over the last 25 years, depleting the population. It will continue to be classified as a "species of concern," but NOAA officials announced last week it did not meet standards set to make the fish endangered.

"The 2009 population assessment noted concerns about the number and declining average weights of adult fish," according to a NOAA statement. "It also showed that unless Atlantic wolffish catches greatly increase and wolffish reproduction fails considerably, the population does not require the protections offered by a listing under the Endangered Species Act in order to persist."

Although being a "species of concern" does not extend any special protections, the organization will devote resources to conversation efforts to ensure it does not end up on the endangered list.

There is no fishery management plan for Atlantic wolffish in United States waters. The New England Fishery Management Council recently proposed to include Atlantic wolffish in the northeast groundfish management plan and to prohibit possession of them in federally managed commercial or recreational fisheries.

Peter Shelley, vice president and senior attorney of CLF, said the organization is "very disappointed" and could take the issue to court. While there is much to be reviewed, he said NOAA took a "non-precautionary approach" with every assumption that was made during the process. He also said they looked at the Canadian and U.S. populations as one, rather than giving the U.S. segment the unique consideration it deserved.

"(Legal action) is a distinct possibility, but we'd really have to consult with experts to get a better sense of why the decision was made," Shelley said. "There would be a fairly significant burden to show the agency disregarded information or interpreted law in a way that was contrary to precedent. We'll have to do careful review to determine that."

The wolffish lives and breeds around rocks on the ocean floor in local water, feeding on sea urchins, crabs and other crustaceans, and can weigh up to 40 pounds and live 20 years. The species is found throughout the North Atlantic, from Cape Cod to the country of Greenland.

The biological review team concluded Atlantic wolffish in U.S. waters form the southernmost component of a larger population centered off Canada, according to NOAA. The population is found in a variety of habitats over a large area in which there are few barriers to migration. The team determined these conditions mitigate risks to Atlantic wolffish existence posed by habitat changes, fishing, predation, disease and other man-made or natural influences.