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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Sablefish/Black Cod

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Sablefish/Black Cod		Black Cod, Butterfish, Alaska cod, Gindara	Alaska, British Columbia	Wild-caught
Sablefish/Black Cod		Black Cod, Butterfish, Sable, Gindara	California, Oregon, Washington	Wild-caught

Sablefish

Sablefish from Alaska and British Columbia is a “Best Choice” and is certified sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Consumer Note

Sablefish

is also known as black cod and butterfish. It's known as gindara when prepared for sushi.

Summary

Found only in the North Pacific, sablefish has a rich, buttery flesh that has made it popular with consumers and high-end restaurateurs alike.

The fisheries in Alaska and British Columbia are well-managed, with healthy and abundant populations. They use pots and bottom longlines and have relatively low bycatch. Seabird bycatch, a concern in the past, has been reduced in the Alaskan fishery by improved management.

In contrast, the West Coast fisheries (California, Oregon and Washington) are less sustainable. Sablefish populations are less abundant in this region and the bottom trawls and longlines used cause damage to the habitat and high amounts of bycatch. The bycatch in these fisheries include five species of depleted rockfish.

Scientific Reports About Our Ratings

Sablefish Seafood Watch Report

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