Seafood Market

▲ Supply steady, pricing steady
► Potential supply challenges or near-term price increases
▼ Current supply challenges and price increases

WILD CAUGHT

► King Salmon (Wild) – The Alaska season is now closed and the winter Washington season is only producing a smattering of fish. Both areas are expected to begin producing larger numbers on May 1st.

Customers that are interested in offering a wild King on the menu but require stable pricing should look at our previously frozen product.

▲ Refresh Sockeye Salmon (Wild) – Refresh Sockeye is available now.

Season Update Fresh Sockeye (Wild)

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game just released the Copper River season advisory. The salient points are highlighted below:

The 2024 commercial harvest forecasts for the Copper River District are 1.30 million sockeye. The 2024 sockeye salmon harvest forecast is 46% above the 10 year (2014–2023) average of 893,000 fish. Based on recent poor Chinook and sockeye salmon production, a conservative management approach will be implemented at the start of the season.

Based on the conservative management approach customers should expect a slow start to the season for Copper River. If the past is a guide, ADF&G will likely opt for 1 to 2 short openers per week for the first 4 to 6 weeks of the season.

The season opener will be announced sometime between May 1 and May 8.

▲ Refresh Coho Salmon (Wild) – Frozen at Sea and refresh product is available now. Product is from Haida Gwaii of the coast of British Columbia (BC).

▲ Wild Halibut – The Alaska season is open. The Washington commercial and tribal fisheries have not established commercial fishing periods as of this date.

▲ Rock Fish – Availability is strong. Primary catch area is British Columbia.

▲ Dover Sole – Availability is strong. The primary catch area is the Oregon Coast.

► True Cod – The Alaskan is closed. Availability will be erratic. Primary catch area is British Columbia.

► Ling Cod – Supply has improved. Primary catch area is British Columbia.

▲ Sablefish (Black Cod) – The frozen export market is the primary driver of sablefish pricing. While product is available the lower dock price to the fleet has muted harvest efforts. We expect to have steady supply.

▲ Dungeness Crab – Crabmeat is readily available. Pricing is up over last year. Note: sellers have reported a few instances of much lower crabmeat pricing in larger volume accounts. Our assessment is that one primary competitor is making a market share play using crabmeat as a loss leader with the margin being made on other items. Simply put – Do not engage in single line item price wars. Contact Northern Fish should you see this in one of your accounts.

▲ Snow Crab – Supply is strong from eastern Canada.

► King Crab – Product is very limited.

AQUACULTURE

▲ Atlantic Salmon – A sense of normalcy has returned to the salmon market. Prices have declined and we expect stable supply out of British Columbia for the next several months.

▲ Steelhead, Norway (Farmed) – Product is available, and pricing is stable. The whole fish size is running between 8 to 10 lbs.

▲ King Salmon (Farmed) – Supply of Creative™ Farm Kings is stable. The farm has cycled to a new year class and the average fish size is now about 8 lbs.

▲ Manila Clams –Primary harvest areas are Willapa Bay and North Puget Sound.

▲ Oysters – Bed specific oysters are readily available. Shucked product remains in steady supply.