Red Mullet

Trilja
/
Mullus barbatus
Avoid

Caught

Red mullet is mainly caught with gillnets, trammel nets, and bottoms trawl nets in depths between 150 m and 200 m and very close to shore (3 – 4 nautical miles). In Malta it is most commonly caught using bottom trawls and has a legal minimum landing size is of 11.5 cm.

Availability

The red mullet is normally caught in winter when the weather does not allow fishing in deeper waters.

Facts

Its flesh is highly esteemed and it is marketed as both fresh and frozen. The red mullet's liver is considered a delicacy, which is unusual for a fish.

Our suggestion

fish for tomorrow recommends avoiding the red mullet mainly due to the fact that it is caught using bottom trawl fishing. This method is highly destructive and unselective.