It is hoped that increased governmental regulation of the halibut catch will allow the population to reestablish itself. Halibut steaks are mild and white. The meat is firm enough for grilling, baking, and poaching, but is also ideal for fish stews. Now, as the populations of the major food fish become threatened, these less well-known fish are gaining ground. Part of the strategy behind promoting them at markets is that if people broaden their tastes, the chance of fishing any one species to extinction will diminish.
Skates are a type of ray and are related to sharks.
They must be treated properly just after being caught in order to be good for eating. Both skates and sharks have urea in the blood, which will impart an ammoniac smell to the meat if they aren't bled soon after they are removed from the water. In the water, the diamond-shaped skate propels itself by undulating its fins and can travel at very high speeds. The thick, tough skin on the skate will contract and become even rubberier upon exposure to heat, so it must always be removed before cooking. Usually this has already been done by the time the fish reaches the market.