Rising black cod prices have required the U.S. Pacific Fishery Management Council to take action to clarify its rules on quota allowances for different styles of fishing.
Disproportionately high prices paid for black cod (also known as sablefish) compared to other groundfish species have resulted in a trend of black cod shares migrating from the trawl sector to fixed-gear operations. Individual fishing quota (IFQ) awarded by the PFMC for the U.S. Pacific non-whiting fleet allows flexibility in the type of gear used, but the council has been asked to take action to preserve the current balance of fishing between trawling and fixed-gear usage.
In 2021, the council began drafting options for action, with input from its sablefish management and trawl allocation attainment committee. Its goal was to limit gear switching to 29 percent of the overall IFQ issued…