August 3, 2026 — A once seldom-sought deepwater fish is rapidly rising to the top of local seafood demand.
Sablefish — also known as black cod, butterfish, skil, beshow or coalfish — are a deepwater species native to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They are a tasty source of protein, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fetch a high price in local markets.
“Black cod is the thing we’re really bringing in right now,” said Eryn Domeyer, director of operations of Tre-Fin Seafood Market, now in their fourth year of operation at 213 First Ave. in Ilwaco. “It’s kind of unlike anything else — it’s incredible.”
Going deep
Sablefish are commonly caught off the Washington coast by commercial harvesters using otter-trawls, jig handline and longline gear, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
They are a robust fish with an elongate body and two dorsal fins, capable of growing to over 30 inches in length and living to more than 90 years.
They are often referred to as black cod, even though they are not actually part of the cod family, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Adults are blackish or greenish gray above, usually with slightly paler blotches or a chainlike pattern on the upper back and more pale below. The Washington state record black cod is 30 pounds, caught off the coast of Grays Harbor County in 1994 by Jeff Rudolph.
The fish range from Japan north into the Bering Sea and south through Alaska and British Columbia to Mexico, with highest concentrations in Alaska. Adults can be found on mud bottoms in depths of 300 to 1,500 meters (984 to 4,900 feet).
Sablefish have been identified as a potential species for commercial farming in the Pacific Northwest, according to NOAA Fisheries, where they are the target of a sustainably managed commercial and recreational fishery. The United States currently does not produce farmed sablefish, but researchers are experimenting with raising them in hopes of creating a viable commercial aquaculture industry.