Pacific Sole

Pacific sole is a name for several species of Pacific flatfish including yellowtail, rock, flathead, rex, dover, sand, English and petrale sole that live along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. Flatfish generally have low levels of mercury, but certain types of sole, in particular English sole, may contain moderate levels of PCB contaminants, chemical toxins that pose a health risk to adults and children. Pacific sole live in sandy areas at the bottom of the ocean, and so are usually caught in bottom trawls, which can damage the ocean floor and may remove or cover animals and plant life. However, soft-bottom habitats are believed to be somewhat resilient to this fishing method, in particular because of fishing gear requirements implemented by the regional Pacific fishing authority. There is very little bycatch in Pacific sole fisheries. Pacific sole populations are generally at healthy levels and are well managed by regional authorities. Petrale sole, however, was declared overfished in 2010, and should be avoided.