Sablefish

Sablefish range from the Asiatic coast of the Bering Sea to northern Baja California. Dark gray to black in color, sablefish are sometimes called blackcod, although not a member of the cod family. They have long been an important component of the California catch. In the 1930's sablefish livers, rich in vitamin A, commanded a higher price than the meat. In recent years, most of the sablefish caught in California, as well as elsewhere on the Pacific coast, have been exported to Japan, where the velvet-textured, oily, white-meated fish is highly prized. The high oil content of the flesh produces an excellent smoked product. Many experts regard sablefish as one of the best flavored of all fish. Fishermen employ longlines, trawl nets, and traps to catch sablefish