|
|
Alaska Black Cod (Sablefish)
|
|
Item Number: 5BLACKCOD
|
ALASKA BLACK COD - Alaskan Black Cod has always been a prize
commodity on the Japanese market and a favorite fish among those who
value freshness, taste, and unique texture. Also known as Sablefish,
this rich white fleshed fish is harvested from the icy depths of the
Gulf of Alaska using hook and line by local Kodiak fishing vessels and
delivered straight to our processing plant. Naturally high in fish oils
and omega-3’s,Wild Black Cod has a unique, delicate flavor that is
unlike any other whitefish. Full flavored with a rich buttery texture,
Black Cod is the perfect seafood for the culinary adventurer who is
willing to try something totally new and exciting.
Available in vacuum-sealed fillets weighing .5-1 lb each
Sustainability Status
Biomass: The west coast sablefish population is at 96% of its target level; Alaska sablefish is 6% above its target level.
Overfishing:
No
Overfished:
No
Fishing and habitat:
Overall, the effects of commercial fishing on sablefish habitat are
minimal or temporary. In Alaska waters, most fishermen use longline gear
to harvest sablefish. Although the effects of this type of gear on
bottom habitat are poorly understood, catching efficiency has increased
through the individual fishing quota program, reducing the number of
hooks deployed and any effects on bottom habitat. Sablefish are also
caught as bycatch in trawl fisheries for rockfish and deepwater
flatfish. Trawls are prohibited in certain areas to protect sensitive
habitats. Increasingly, pots are also being used to harvest sablefish in
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. There is not much information on
the impact of pots on habitat as their use has just recently increased
and they are still a fairly minor component of the overall sablefish
catch. Off the west coast, trawls, longlines, and pots are used to
harvest sablefish.
Bycatch:
The amount of species incidentally caught and discarded in the Alaska
fishery has been reduced through the individual fishing quota program –
the fishery operates at a slower pace and provides incentives to
maximize value from the catch. Catches in the longline fishery are made
up mostly of sablefish (about 90%). While small in total, about 18% of
the incidental catch of spiny dogfish and 2/3 of the incidental catch of
grenadier occurs in Alaskan sablefish fisheries. Seabirds may also be
captured, although this is decreasing due to widespread use of measures
to reduce seabird catch.
Aquaculture:
There is currently no commercial aquaculture of sablefish in the United
States, but research on sablefish aquaculture is ongoing. A number of
Canadian firms have developed hatchery technology for the production of
juvenile sablefish with the goal of raising sablefish in large-scale,
ocean or offshore farms for commercial use. Information provided by FishWatch
 |
|
|
|