From Seaport Fish’s email newsletter:

If you’ve bought haddock recently you may have noticed a difference in the size and consistency of the fillets. Differences in condition are related to the spawning cycle.  Haddock spawn between January and June with late March and early April being the peak.  The reproductive organs start to grow rapidly in October in readiness for the spawning season and even though the fish are still eating, more of what they eat is being diverted to their reproductive organs. As winter progresses, the demands of those organs increase and the food supply diminishes.  The fish have no choice but to break down some of the components of their own bodies to maintain the flow of materials to the reproductive organs.   Proteins are drawn from all parts of the flesh; the hair like cells of which the fish muscle is made shrink and the spaces between them increase and fill with fluid which is why the flesh will feel wet to the touch.  After spawning the flesh becomes softer still until the food supply increases to the point where the fish can obtain enough food to repair the damages.

According to [1] FishWatch, our local Haddock is in good shape.

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