Alaska’s wild halibut and black cod (sablefish) harvest season opens Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 12:00 PM local time. Statewide Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits for Alaska halibut and black cod are set at 16.8 million pounds and 33.6 million pounds respectively. Alaska is home to over 95% of the Pacific halibut and over 70% of the black cod harvested in the United States. Like all species of Alaska seafood, Alaska halibut and black cod are wild and sustainable, as mandated by the Alaska Constitution. Alaska’s science-based fishery management practices are considered a world model.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is responsible for setting the annual halibut harvest limit based on stock assessments and halibut biology, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) makes allocative decisions based on that quota. The Alaska black cod fisheries are both federally and state managed, with the NPFMC reviewing the annual stock assessment and harvest limits for fisheries in federal waters and the State of Alaska managing the fisheries in state waters.
The largest of all flatfish, Alaska halibut is prized for its mild, sweet flavor, firm texture, and spectacular results whether grilled, roasted, sautéed, or poached. Alaska black cod offers a beautiful snow-white fillet, perfect flake, and succulent velvety texture. Along with being excellent roasted, sautéed, and poached, Alaska black cod is ideal for smoking.