Is hoki / blue grenadier sustainable?

What is hoki?

Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), also known as blue grenadier, live in the waters around southern Australia and New Zealand 

Hoki flesh is delicate, succulent, and tastes slightly sweet, producing a medium flake once cooked. It is more flavourful than most other white fish because of its higher fat content but is still relatively mild tasting. Hoki is usually sold as frozen fillets internationally, but is also available at fresh seafood counters in New Zealand and Australia.

Check out our Sustainable Hoki Recipes

How do I know if hoki is sustainable?

Hoki carrying the MSC blue fish tick is certified sustainable. MSC labelled hoki comes from a fishery that has been independently assessed to the MSC Fisheries Standard. Companies using the blue fish tick all along the supply chain have been assessed to ensure products can be traced back to an MSC certified fishery.

Where can I buy sustainable hoki?

You’ll find hoki with the blue fish tick in Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Ikea stores, and on Sealord, Birds Eye, Ocean Chef, Ocean Pearl and Ocean Royale branded products. 

In 2001, New Zealand hoki was the first large-scale whitefish fishery in the world to achieve MSC certification. Like all major commercial fisheries in New Zealand waters, hoki is managed by Fisheries New Zealand using a quota management system. 

The Australia Blue Grenadier fishery is also one of Australia’s most commercially important.

Hoki facts

The seams of fat surrounding hoki flesh are full of essential Omega-3 fatty acids.

The New Zealand hoki fishery was one of the first in the world to be MSC certified sustainable and can be found in the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish in Europe. Read more about how New Zealand fisheries are leading the way.