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 Columbia River has begun producing a decent number of net-caught kings. The expectation is that the run will last through early September.

▼ Sockeye Salmon (Wild) – Fresh Sockeye season is nearly over, with only a few areas in Southeast Alaska still producing fish. Customers are encouraged to switch to fresh Coho to avoid any supply gaps.

▼ Refresh Sockeye Salmon (Wild) – As expected, the initial frozen offerings out of Alaska were priced significantly higher than last year. Typically, pricing data at this time of year is inconsistent, with both higher and lower offerings noted. However, a significant upward adjustment has now been established in the market. Many retailers who rely on Sockeye as a wild option during the winter have signed program contracts at 25–30% above last year's prices. H&G prices, the primary source for refresh fillets, have seen an even more dramatic increase in raw material costs.

▲ 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).

▲ Coho Salmon (Wild) – Washington is producing product along the north coast. The Washington in-river gillnet season will begin in mid-September, making it the primary option for customers who want to feature fresh, wild salmon on their menu. Customers can securely offer fresh wild salmon from Washington well into October.

▲ Wild Halibut – Availability and pricing are stable. The first frozen offerings of the year have started to hit the market, with prices firm and higher than they were at this time last year.

▲ 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 –Availability will be erratic. Primary catch area is British Columbia

▲ Ling Cod – Supply is stable. Primary catch area is British Columbia.

▲ Sablefish (Black Cod) – Supply is stable with lower prices than last year.

► Dungeness Crab – Crabmeat is readily available. However, the Prince Rupert, B.C. season failed to produce significant volumes of crab, which will put additional pressure on an already tight market for Dungeness sections.

▲ Snow Crab – Supply is strong from eastern Canada.

► King Crab – Product is very limited.

AQUACULTURE

► Atlantic Salmon – The supply is currently volatile due to all farms in Western B.C. being offline. We anticipate one farm will resume production in the next 7–10 days, with the other two expected to restart around the beginning of the year. To fill the supply gaps, we are sourcing products from Eastern Canada, Norway, and Chile. Although the general market expectation was that pricing from Norway and Chile would spike due to the tight supply, this has not occurred. Please contact us if you are interested in carrying products from these regions.

▲ 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 tight due to increased summertime demand and smaller fish sizes.

▲ Manila Clams – The quality of clams has improved slightly, but customers should still expect a shortened shelf life for the next two to three weeks.

▲ Oysters – Supply is steady for small and extra small in-shell products. However, medium in-shell oysters remain limited. Sellers are encouraged to contact Northern Fish for any new business opportunities. Heavy summertime demand is keeping shucked extra small inventory levels tight. Supply is expected to improve as demand declines after Labor Day.