There are over 60 species of rockfish found along the U.S. West
Coast, and many are important in commercial and recreational
fisheries. Some rockfish species are overfished and the status
of many others is unknown because of a lack of available
information. Recovery plans introduced since the late 1990s are
slowly helping vulnerable rockfish populations increase, but
full recovery for the most depleted and slow-growing species is
not expected for many decades. Most rockfish are long-lived,
late to mature, slow growing, and are affected by environmental
factors such as warm ocean temperatures. This makes them
especially vulnerable to fishing pressure and lengthens recovery
time for overfished species. This fish may have high levels of
mercury that could pose a health risk to adults and children.
More mercury info here.