Seafood Market
12/12/24
Market Alerts
Updated monthly.
▲ Supply steady, pricing steady
► Potential supply challenges or near-term price increases
▼ Current supply challenges and price increases
WILD CAUGHT
► King Salmon (Wild) – The King Salmon fishery has shifted back to Alaska for the winter troll-caught season. These premium fish are in limited supply and are significantly affected by variable fishing conditions.
▲ Refresh King Salmon (Wild) – Refresh King Salmon is now available daily. This product offers a reliable option for those looking to menu wild King Salmon with more stable pricing. To ensure adequate preparation, please contact Northern Fish at least 48 hours prior to your desired ship date to allow sufficient time for thawing.
▲ Refresh Sockeye Salmon (Wild) – Product is available daily.
▲ 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).
▲ Refresh Wild Halibut – The fresh wild halibut season closed on December 7. Re-fresh halibut is now available, with pricing comparable to this time last year.
► Rock Fish – Weather is now a factor and will impact fishing conditions. Please check daily for availability. Customers seeking consistency in both price and supply should consider IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) options. Primary catch area is British Columbia.
► Dover Sole – Dover sole is primarily caught using bottom trawl nets, and the effectiveness of this method is heavily influenced by wave heights on the fishing grounds. Please check daily for availability. The primary catch area is along the Oregon Coast.
▼ True Cod –Availability will be erratic. Primary catch area is British Columbia.
► Ling Cod – Availability will be erratic. Primary catch area is British Columbia.
► Sablefish (Black Cod) – Supply will become more erratic as the Washington fleet begins switching fishing gear for the upcoming Dungeness crab season.
► Dungeness Crab – Crabmeat is currently readily available. Parts of the Oregon coast are set to open next week, with most of the Washington area expected to open in January. Fresh whole cooked crab should be available by December 18th or 19th. All indications suggest that crab prices will start higher than they did last year. In previous seasons, customers could anticipate some price relief on crabmeat at the beginning of the season, but that does not seem to be the case this year.
▲ Snow Crab – Supply is strong from eastern Canada.
► King Crab – Product is very limited.
AQUACULTURE
► Atlantic Salmon – The Atlantic salmon market is facing significant price increases. Unexpectedly, the only operating farm on the West Coast ended its annual harvest two weeks earlier than initially planned, leaving distributors scrambling to source products from Chile, Norway, and Eastern Canada. Northern Fish will carry options from all these locations. This disruption is expected to persist until the second or third week of January, when all three farms resume operations. Customers seeking price stability in farm-raised salmon have three options:
- For a fresh product, we recommend Norwegian Steelhead.
- For frozen options, either Chilean vacuum-packed Atlantic fillets or vacuum-packed Coho fillets serve as reliable alternatives.
▲ Steelhead, Norway (Farmed) – Product is available, and pricing is stable. The whole fish size is running between 8 to 10 lbs.
▲ King Salmon (Farmed) – The supply of Creative™ Farm Kings is stable.
▲ Manila Clams – Manila clam supply remains steady.
► Oysters – Kumamoto oysters are currently in very limited supply, but availability is expected to improve this spring. Supply remains steady for all other products. However, the holidays typically strain the availability of bed-specific oysters. Customers planning to place large orders should contact their sales representative in advance to avoid any surprises.