Photo: NOAA/FIS

Week 19 │ GOA/BSAI │ North Pacific Sablefish (Black Cod) Catch and Market Analysis

JAPAN
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Alaskan Longline Market Intensifies as Wholesale Prices Strengthen

Recent transaction data from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) indicates a highly competitive market for North Pacific sablefish / black cod (Anoplopoma fimbria) , with secondary auction rounds for fixed-gear products climbing past initial baselines set earlier this spring. The latest trading centered heavily on high-quality, longline-caught fish packed into 4 ocean containers , consisting primarily of premium 3/4 size grades. Final bidding information revealed that values ​​for these specific Alaskan Gulf shipments have successfully eclipsed April 2026 rates.

Concurrently, compiled data from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) highlights a steady operational pace across key management zones in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska . As of May 9, 2026 , the total North Pacific hook-and-line (fixed-gear) sablefish catch reached 7,396 metric tons against a combined annual allocation quota of 31,421 metric tons , moving nearly in lockstep with the 7,308 metric tons harvested during the same timeframe in 2025 .

Japanese Domestic Market

On the japanese domestic front, commercial distributions processed through the Sendai Central Wholesale Market underscore robust institutional demand. Wholesale volumes for frozen sablefish reached 50 metric tons in April 2026 , marking an average trading price of $9.51 per kilogram (a 13.6% increase year-over-year). Cumulative data for the January–April 2026 period shows total wholesale distributions at 76 metric tons with a stable year-to-date average price of $9.17 per kilogram .

🇨🇳 Simplified Chinese Translation:

Week 19 | GOA/BSAI | North Pacific Sable Fish (Black Cod) Catch and Market Analysis

Alaskan longline fishing quotas surge, Japanese domestic wholesale prices rise.

Latest trading data from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) indicates exceptionally fierce competition in the North Pacific sable scad market, with second-round bidding for stationary fishing gear exceeding the initial benchmark set earlier this year. Recent trade has focused primarily on high-quality longline catches loaded into four ocean containers , mainly premium 3/4 size . Final bidding information shows that the value of these specific Gulf of Alaska cargoes has surpassed levels seen in April 2026 .

Meanwhile, data compiled by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) highlights the steady progress of operations in key management areas such as the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands (BSAI) , and the Gulf of Alaska . As of May 9, 2026 , the total catch of the North Pacific longline fleet has reached 7,396 metric tons , while the total annual allocation quota is 31,421 metric tons , almost perfectly in sync with the 7,308 metric tons caught during the same period in 2025 .

Japanese domestic market

Domestically, data from commercial distribution through the Sendai Central Wholesale Market indicates that institutional demand remains strong. In April 2026 , wholesale volume of frozen sable croaker reached 50 metric tons , with an average transaction price of US$9.51 per kilogram (a year-on-year increase of 13.6% ). Cumulative data from January to April 2026 shows a total wholesale volume of 76 metric tons year-to-date , with the average price remaining stable at US$9.17 per kilogram .

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