Like the halibut total allowable catch, the sablefish IFQ has been declining moderately but steadily since 2004.
According to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, final 2008 Alaska black cod landings totaled 26.8 million pounds, falling short of the 30-million-pound quota. In 2007, landings reached just over 30 million pounds despite a 33-million-pound quota.
The 2004 sablefish IFQ of 38 million pounds represented a 12-year high, and the recent decline represents a return to typical TACs of th…
