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Rockfish

(Pacific, Trawl)

Rating:
In recent years, reduced fishing has allowed many rockfish populations to recover from low levels. Gear concerns remain, however - trawl-caught rockfish should still be avoided. Most rockfish caught by hook-and-line are generally a "Good Alternative" and hook-and-line caught black rockfish from the U.S. is a "Best Choice."

Market Names:
Rock Cod, Pacific Snapper, Red Snapper, Pacific Ocean Perch

Consumer Notes:
Buyer beware: rockfish is often mislabeled as red snapper or Pacific snapper. There are no true snappers on the U.S. West Coast. Rockfish is also a market name for striped bass.

Summary:
More than 70 species of rockfish live off the U.S. West Coast. Most rockfish are extremely long-lived, deep-water fish. Scientists estimate a lifespan of 100-200 years for some species. They are slow-growing and mature late in life and many are caught before they have had a chance to reproduce. These traits make them very vulnerable to overfishing.

Not surprisingly, decades of heavy fishing sent rockfish populations plummeting. In addition, bottom trawling, the most widely used method for catching rockfish, damaged seafloor habitats and caught large quantities of bycatch. In recent years, fishing pressure has been reduced and many rockfish populations are now recovering.

Consumers need to ask about the gear used to catch rockfish; hook-and-line caught black rockfish from the U.S. is the "Best Choice," other species caught by hook-and-line are generally "Good Alternatives" and trawl-caught rockfish should be avoided.

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