West Coast fishing boats can catch more sablefish, but not other groundfish

US regulators are increasing the amount of sablefish that commercial fishing boats can catch off the West Coast. This means boats can bring in more of this specific fish, but they still have to protect other fish populations that are overfished.

Fishing quotas are a constant balancing act between allowing commercial operations to make money and protecting fish stocks from collapse. This adjustment shows regulators believe sablefish populations are healthy enough to support more fishing. It also means that even with more sablefish, boats must still be careful not to accidentally catch too many of the protected species.