Saithe

Saithe (Pollachius virens), also widely known in trade as coalfish, is a cold-water North Atlantic member of the cod family, but commercially it stands apart from classic cod because of its darker flesh tone, firmer texture, and more active, semi-pelagic behavior. It occurs on both sides of the North Atlantic, from coastal and offshore waters to deeper fishing grounds, and is especially important in the Northeast Atlantic.

Saithe can be best described as an active, schooling species that typically moves into coastal waters in spring and returns to deeper waters in winter, which helps explain its strong seasonal role in northern fisheries. From a market perspective, saithe is a highly practical processing species. It is sold in a broad range of product forms, including fresh and frozen whole fish, HG, fillets, loins, breaded, salted, smoked, canned, and frozen by-products. Its flesh is lean, firm, and well suited to portioning and industrial processing, which makes it especially relevant for retail packs, foodservice, and secondary processing. In commercial terms, saithe is often positioned as a dependable northern whitefish with good processing yields and broad format flexibility rather than as a luxury species sold only on image. 

The main commercial fisheries are concentrated in the North Atlantic, particularly around Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the North Sea, and the Barents Sea. For EU imports, the most important sourcing countries in 2023 were Norway (50%), Iceland (24%), and the Faroe Islands (11%), which gives a good picture of today’s commercial supply base.