Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), also known as “blackcod,” is taken in a variety of West Coast groundfish fisheries. Federal regulations at 50CFR660.322 provide sablefish allocations between the different fisheries.

For current trip limits in the limited entry trawl fishery, limited entry fixed gear daily/weekly fishery, or the open access daily/weekly fishery, see the most recent Northwest Region Public Notice and Trip Limits.

Longline vessels with limited entry permits may be eligible to land halibut taken incidentally with sablefish north of Point Chehalis, Wash. The Pacific Fishery Management Council recommends incidental halibut limits at its April meetings. NOAA Fisheries Service announce those limits to the public in a public notice on or around May 1 of each year. (More information on halibut fisheries is provided in our Pacific Halibut Management Web section.)

For limited entry fixed gear sablefish tier limits, see federal regulations at 50CFR660.382. NOAA Fisheries Service publishes tier limits by Jan. 1 at the start of each two-year management cycle (2007-2008, 2009-2010, etc.). For more information on the tier limits program, see our Sablefish Permit Stacking Program Web section.

Regulations for participating in the primary sablefish fishery and the limited entry fixed gear sablefish daily/weekly fishery are in 50CFR660.372 and 660.382 and in Table 4 (North and South). Regulations for participating in the open access sablefish fishery are in 50CFR660.372 and 660.383 and in Table 5 (North and South). Regulations for participating in the limited entry trawl fishery are in 50CFR660.381 and Table 3 (North and South).  For the most recent Tables 3, 4, and 5, see the Public Notices and Trip Limits page. Areas closed to fishing by different gear types are listed in the regulations and on the Groundfish Closed Areas page.

For information on sablefish research, including stock assessments, see the Groundfish Science page.