Since fish are managed according to where they are found and how they are caught, it’s important to understand some of the critical elements about fish stocks and gear type used. Seafood for the Future provides a list of recommended sustainable seafood by species and simplified explanation about what’s important in the selection of each.

HOME > RECOMMENDATIONS-ORIGINAL > SABLEFISH (BLACK COD)

Sablefish

Anoplopoma fimbria

Family: Anoplopomatidae 

Common names: Inappropriate vernacular names include candlefish, coal cod, coalfish, butterfish.  Black cod is strongly associated with this species in spite of the fact that it is not an approved FDA name for sablefish, nor is sablefish in the cod family.

View the FDA list of legal market fish names.

Do not confuse with:
Icefish may also be known as black cod.

SFF determination:
US stocks of sablefish are endorsed based on NMFS information.

Primary Commercial Fishing Gear:

Longlines

Other Commercial Fishing Gear:

Bottom trawls, pots

Geographic Range:

US West coast to Alaska (Aleutian Islands, East Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska)
Endorsed stocks originate in FAO area 67.  View FAO fishing area map.

NMFS Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI):

sssi:4
Both wild US sablefish stocks have a NMFS sustainability index scores of 4.0 (maximum).

View the most current NMFS quarterly reports on US fish stocks.

Overfishing: NO

Fishing pressure does not exceed target levels set by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Overfished: NO

Population biomass is not less than target levels set by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Approaching Overfished Condition: NO

Populations are not in decline.

Estimated Biomass: 96% (Pacific coast), 104% (Alaska)

Biomass expressed as a percentage of the estimated Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
B/BMSY must be >80% to earn a maximum score of 4.0 on the National Marine Fishery Service’s FSSI report

Bycatch/Interactions:

Primarily spiny dogfish; some seabirds.

Dredges and trawls can have interactions with turtles and bottom fish. This gear also damages sea floor habitat. Therefore, the Atlantic Sea Scallops Fisheries Management Plan includes measures to reduce bycatch and minimize habitat damage through gear modification and area closures. The dredge fishery has limited interactions with marine mammals and is listed as a Category III fishery (the lowest category) in the Federal Register.

Download the federal List of Fisheries, which reports interactions between fisheries and  marine mammals according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Managing Authority:

  • PFMC (Pacific Fisheries Management Council)
  • NPFMC (North Pacific Fisheries Management Council)

Life History Traits:

Sablefish reportedly live as long as 94 years. Females reach sexual maturity after age 6, and males after 5. The spawning season is March through April for Alaskan populations and January through March on the US West coast.

Commercial Season:

Opens in the spring/summer. Varies by region.

Health Advisory:

None.

Seafood Advisory Consensus:

  • Blue Ocean Institute – Light green (2.50/4.00)
  • Monterey Bay Seafood Watch – Alaska: Best Choice; West coast: Good Alternative
  • Environmental Defense Fund – Alaska and Canada: Eco-Best; West coast: Eco-OK
  • Marine Stewardship Council – Select N. Pacific stocks, primarily exported to Japan
  • WWF – not listed
  • SeaChoice – Alaska and Canada: Green; West coast: Yellow
  • New England Aquarium – “Ocean Friendly Seafood Choice”
  • Greenpeace – Not on “Red List”


A measurement of how the National Marine Fisheries Service assesses the sustainability of fish stock managed in domestic waters. A 4-point scale (4 being the most sustainable) that scores the size of the fish stock in relation to the amount of fishing. Not all fish stocks have an FSSI score.


Some fishing methods are harmful to whales and dolphins, turtles, seabirds, and non-targeted fish. Fishing gear may also damage fish habitat by dragging on the seafloor. Regional fisheries councils and state fisheries management authorities provide bycatch information and habitat damage so that we can recommend fish from the most sustainable fishing methods possible.


Fish that are managed under U.S. fisheries programs cover a wide geographic range and can be found from Maine to Guam, a distance that’s equivalent to a third of the way around the Earth. Some programs fall under state jurisdiction, while others are run by one of the regional fisheries management councils.