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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Rockfish, Black

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Black Rockfish		Black Bass, Black Rock Cod, Sea Bass, Black Snapper	California, Oregon, Washington	Troll, Pole, Bottom Longline
Rockfish		Rock Cod, Pacific Snapper, Red Snapper, Pacific Ocean Perch	British Columbia, Alaska	Hook-and-line, Jig
Rockfish		Rock Cod, Pacific Snapper, Red Snapper, Pacific Ocean Perch	Pacific	Trawl

Black Rockfish

Black rockfish from California, Washington and Oregon is the "Best Choice."

Consumer Note

Buyer beware: rockfish

is often mislabeled as red snapper or Pacific snapper. There are no snapper on the U.S. West Coast.

Health Alert

Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for black rockfish for PCBs and mercury.

Summary

Black rockfish populations off the coast of California, Washington and Oregon are healthy and abundant. Unlike other species of rockfish, black rockfish grow and reproduce fairly quickly – traits that help them withstand fishing pressure.

Black rockfish are the most common species caught in coastal waters. They are mostly caught by hook-and-line or bottom longline, methods that do little habitat damage.

For these reasons, black rockfish is a “Best Choice.”

Scientific Reports About Our Ratings

Hook and Lining Fact Card
Pacific Rockfish Seafood Watch Report
Rockfish Fact Card

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