LAT Dicentrarchus labrax
FRA Loup de Mer
ENG Sea Bass
ESP Lubina
GER Europäischer Wolfsbarsch

All you need to know about Seabass

A Highly Prized Fish

Sea bass has been one of the noblest food fish since ancient times. Top gastronomy prizes its white, firm, aromatic, and juicy meat, which has hardly any bones. When crisply fried or baked, it becomes a culinary highlight.

“Bar de Ligne” refers to wild-caught sea bass. Fishers catch these fish selectively and in an environmentally friendly way, using lines and hooks. They catch every single fish carefully. This method avoids the weight of large nets, which has a very positive effect on quality.

Commercially available sea bass often comes from aquaculture. This fish differs significantly from its wild-caught counterpart. The meat is much softer, fattier, and has a more monotonous taste.

Interesting to Know

The European sea bass is a voracious predator. It hunts molluscs, crustaceans, and smaller fish near the coast at depths of up to 100 meters, especially at night. Young animals are sociable, but they become solitary as they age. This species lives in the northeast Atlantic, from Morocco to Norway, as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Sea bass can grow to 80 – 100 cm long with a weight of 10 – 12 kg. The females grow larger and faster than the males. The breeding season lasts from January to March in the more northern distribution areas, and from May to August in the more southern ranges.

Fisheries and Sustainability

Sea bass are specifically caught using various methods such as gill nets, gillnets and lines.

The state of the population of European sea bass varies depending on the area. While the species is considered overfished in the Mediterranean, the population in the Northeast Atlantic, especially in the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay, is healthy and can be fished sustainably. When purchasing, it is important to pay attention to selective fishing methods such as lines or gillnets with appropriate mesh sizes in order to avoid unnecessary catching of juvenile fish and bycatch.

The majority of commercially available sea bass comes from farms in the Mediterranean, especially from Greece and Turkey. These are not automatically sustainable, as the production often struggles with local environmental pollution due to fish waste, feed, and medication residues. Additionally, the feed may come from unsustainable sources. Labels can provide a remedy in this regard.