Common Name	Sablefish	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Anaplopoma fimbria	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Black cod, Butterfish	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Gindara	Health/Nutrition

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Sablefish Market Alert - updated March 2012

The Alaska quota for the 2012 sablefish fishery, which opened last weekend, has been bumped about 20 percent to 29 million pounds. That means that for the first time in recent memory more sablefish than halibut will be landed in Alaska (halibut quotas in Alaska were reduced 18 percent to 24 million pounds). Add in the 14 million pounds of sablefish which should be landed off the West Coast this year and the total sablefish haul should be about 43 million pounds.

Fishermen are hopeful that the ex-vessel prices will start near where they left off last year, which was about $8/lb. for the larger 7-up sizes. The average ex-vessel price last year, though, was under $4/lb., as most of the Alaska quota was landed in April and May, before prices started heading through the roof.  Don’t be surprised if more longliners in Alaska decide to fish later in the year in the hope they can get higher prices.

Although the U.S. appetite for this rich, buttery fish has grown modestly in recent years, more than 90 percent of the catch is still exported, primarily to Japan, which accounted for almost 80 percent of the U.S. sablefish exports last year.  China is becoming a significant market for sablefish, as well. Last year almost 1,000 metric tons of sablefish was exported to China, a figure that is sure to grow in coming years.

If you’re looking to make a buy on frozen sablefish, pay close attention to the fishery in April and May, when prices are historically at their lowest level of the year as landings typically peak.  Sablefish prices probably will be a bit lower this season, as a very strong Japanese yen has weakened 12 percent since the season ended last November.

Conservation Notes

Life History/Inherent Vulnerability: Sablefish are a very long-lived species which, along with other factors, makes them inherently vulnerable to fishing pressure.

Status of Stocks/Abundance: Sablefish populations are stable in Canada and Alaska. The sablefish populations in the U.S. West Coast fisheries—Washington, Oregon, and California—are considered moderate because they are not yet at 100% their target level.

Fishing Impacts on Habitat: Most of the sablefish harvest in Alaska is done using longlines, a method considered to cause minimal impact. Pots are also used to catch sablefish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, but there are still so few that there’s little information on the impact. Trawls are among the gear used to catch sablefish along the U.S. West Coast, which can cause damage to sensitive seafloor habitats.

Bycatch, Nature and Extent: Bycatch in the sablefish fishery is considered moderate, and includes species of rockfish that are currently overfished. Bycatch of seabirds, including endangered birds, has dropped significantly due to improved management measures such as streamer lines to keep birds away from baited hooks.

Management Effectiveness: In the 1960s and ’70s, sablefish was overexploited, but is now effectively managed. The Alaska sablefish fishery is managed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which uses individual fishing quotas to ensure the fishery remains sustainable. On the West Coast, sablefish are managed with the groundfish fishery. Management measures include area closures and an individual fishery quota system that was implemented fairly recently.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
Alaska Longline, Jig	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice	Light Green	A List	Certified*
British Columbia Longline, Trap	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice		A List	Certified*
U.S. West Coast Longline, Pot	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative		B List
U.S. West Coast  Trawl	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative

*The Alaska and British Columbia sablefish fisheries are separately certified to the Marine Stewardship Council's standards of sustainability. 

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch rates Alaska and British Columbia sablefish fisheries as "Best Choice (green)" and U.S. West Coast fisheries as "Good Alternative (yellow)." SeaChoice rates British Columbia sablefish fisheries as "Best Choice (green)." Blue Ocean Institute rates Alaska sablefish fisheries as "Light Green."

Buying Tips

• Buyers pay a premium for sablefish from Alaska because these fish are larger (5-7 lbs.) and thus considered to have a higher oil content than smaller sablefish from the U.S. West Coast (2-3 lbs.).
• Some longliners typically bleed and freeze their fish at-sea, resulting in a high-quality product at a higher price.
• Canadian trap-caught sablefish tends to be larger and is considered very high quality.
• Trawl-caught sablefish is rarely bled and prone to bruising, resulting in lower quality and price.
• Sablefish has been popular for a long time in domestic Asian restaurants, but is increasing in popularity due to its rich taste and is a good substitute for Patagonian toothfish (a.k.a. Chilean sea bass).
• Most people that have tried sablefish have tried "smoked sable," which has been around for some time, but increasingly sablefish is being served other ways as a centerplate item. 

Nutrition and Health

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service