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Species Directory

Sablefish

Overview Science Resources

Sablefish

Anoplopoma fimbria

sablefish.png
Also Known As
Black cod, Butterfish, Skil, Beshow, Coalfish

Quick Facts

Region
Alaska, West Coast
Fish Watch. U.S. Seafood Facts Logo
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About The Species

U.S. wild-caught sablefish is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Population Status Icon

Population Level

Alaska sablefish are below target level and Pacific coast sablefish are near target level. Fishing rates promote population growth.

Fishing Status Icon

Fishing Status

At recommended levels.

Habitat Impacts Icon

Habitat Impacts

The trawl, longline, and pot gear used to harvest sablefish have minimal or temporary effects on habitat.

Bycatch Icon

Bycatch

Regulations limit the amount of incidentally caught and discarded fish in the Alaska fishery. The catch shares program on the West Coast creates incentives to reduce bycatch.

Status

  • According to the 2015 stock assessment, the West Coast sablefish stock is not overfished and is not subject to overfishing based on 2018 catch data.
  • According to the 2018 stock assessment, the Eastern Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands/Gulf of Alaska sablefish stock is not overfished and is not subject to overfishing.

Appearance

  • Sablefish look much like cod. They are often referred to as black cod, even though they are not actually part of the cod family.

Biology

  • Females can grow more than 3 feet in length.
  • Females are able to reproduce at 6 ½ years old and more than 2 feet in length.
  • Males are able to reproduce at age 5 and 1.9 feet in length.
  • Sablefish spawn in deeper water along the continental slope from January to April in Alaska waters, and from January to March between California and British Columbia.
  • Eggs develop in deep water for about 2 weeks until they hatch, then rise to the surface.
  • Hatched larvae are moved by surface currents.
  • Off southeast Alaska and British Columbia, juveniles appear in nearshore waters by fall.
  • Juveniles have been found to migrate more than 2,000 miles in 6 or 7 years.
  • Sablefish can live to be more than 90 years old.

Where They Live

  • Sablefish are found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from northern Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska, westward to the Aleutian Islands and into the Bering Sea.
  • There are two populations in the Pacific Ocean:
    • Northern population inhabits Alaska and northern British Columbia waters.
    • Southern population inhabits southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California waters.
    • Both populations mix off southwest Vancouver Island and northwest Washington.
  • They are most commonly found in Alaska waters.

Management

  • NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the sablefish fishery in Alaska.
  • Managed under the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fishery Management Plans:
    • Fishing season runs from approximately March 1 to November 15 (subject to change each year).
    • Fixed gear (longlines and pots) harvests 90 percent of annual quota and trawl gear harvests about 10 percent.
    • The majority of fixed gear is managed with an individual fishing quota (catch shares) program.
  • The State of Alaska manages fisheries in state waters under a shared quota system and also manages separate state fisheries.
  • NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the sablefish fishery on the West Coast.
  • Managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan:
    • Coast-wide catch limits among different fishing groups and gear types.
    • Daily trip limits for some vessels.
    • Individual fishing quota (catch shares) for the trawl fishery and some of the fixed gear fishery. The West Coast groundfish trawl fishery is managed under a trawl rationalization catch share program.
    • Full observer coverage in the trawl fishery, partial coverage in the fixed gear fishery.

Featured News

aquaculture sablefish nwfsc.png Aquaculture sablefish. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Feature Story

The Future of Fish Feed May Lie in Insects, Mold, and Algae

West Coast
National
Sablefish2-thumb.jpg
Feature Story

Observations of Fine-Scale Juvenile Sablefish Movements Reveal Behavioral Patterns That May Influence Survival

Alaska
Sablefish-thumb.jpg
Feature Story

Research Findings Lead to a More Optimistic Picture of Sablefish

Alaska
WinterSurvey-thumb.jpg
Feature Story

Winter Survey Yields More than Science

Alaska
View More News

Recreational Fishing Regulations

Commercial Fishing Regulations

Subsistence Fishing Regulations

Science Overview

NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and population health of sablefish. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.

Dive Deeper Into Our Research

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Sablefish in Alaska

NOAA’s Fisheries assesses sablefish populations and their role in Alaska ecosystems to provide information critical for the conservation and management of this prized species.

Learn More

Research & Data

2020 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) inhabit the northeastern Pacific Ocean from…
January 14, 2021 - Assessments ,
Alaska

2019 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) inhabit the northeastern Pacific Ocean from…
January 31, 2020 - Assessments ,
Alaska

2018 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

The longline survey abundance index increased 9% from 2017 to 2018…
January 30, 2019 - Assessments ,
Alaska

2018 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

The longline survey abundance index increased 9% from 2017 to 2018…
January 29, 2019 - Assessments ,
Alaska
View More

Documents

Document

Regulatory Impact Review for a Temporary Rule to Allow Flexibility for Halibut and Sablefish IFQ Transfers in 2020

Analysis of an emergency rule to modify the halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)…

Alaska
Document

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Cost Recovery Reports

Annual reviews of cost recovery and fee payments in Alaska for the halibut and sablefish Individual…

Alaska
Document

Final Secretarial Review Regulatory Impact Review for a Proposed Regulatory Amendment to Modify the Medical and Beneficiary Transfer Provisions in the Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Program

Analysis of management measures that would modify the medical and beneficiary transfer provisions…

Alaska
Document

2018 Status of Alaska Marine Ecosystems Considerations - Eastern Bering Sea Report in Brief

The eastern Bering Sea was characterized by anomalously warm conditions in 2018. Over the northern…

Alaska
More Documents

Data & Maps

Data

2020 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) inhabit the northeastern Pacific Ocean from northern Mexico to the…

Alaska
Data

2019 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) inhabit the northeastern Pacific Ocean from northern Mexico to the…

Alaska
Data

2018 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

The longline survey abundance index increased 9% from 2017 to 2018 following a 14% increase in 2017…

Alaska
Data

2018 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska

The longline survey abundance index increased 9% from 2017 to 2018 following a 14% increase in 2017…

Alaska
More Data and Maps

Research

Aquatic Microbiomes Research in the Pacific Northwest

Microbiomes are the communities of microscopic organisms that live with animals such as fish or in the environment. Although bacteria, fungi, and viruses are the most commonly recognized members of microbiomes, phytoplankton and protists are also…

West Coast

Fish Growth and Ocean Ecology Research

Growth is an integrated physiological response encompassing external environmental conditions (food quality and quantity, temperature, water quality) and internal physiological status (health, stress, reproductive state).  The growth of juvenile…

West Coast

Fish Species Maximum Age Data

Provides a list of maximum ages for all species, aged by the AFSC Age and Growth Program.

Alaska

2019 North Pacific Groundfish Stock Assessments

2019 North Pacific Groundfish Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Reports for 2020 Fisheries.

Alaska
More Research

Outreach & Education

Educational Materials

Compliance Guide: Sablefish Electronic Fish Tickets

Plain-language summary of changes to to fishing regulations regarding new requirements for…

West Coast
Educational Materials

Compliance Guide: Sablefish Joint Registration, Own-Hold, and Other Measures

Plain-language summary of changes to to fishing regulations regarding new requirements for joint…

West Coast
More Outreach and Education Materials
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