Good news on the scallop front. There will be limited openings of some closed areas, including Nantucket Lightship, Elephant Trunk, and Delmarva. Initially, the New England Advisory Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service were going to pull back 11 days at sea from the American fleet. Those days have been reallocated to the fleet, and they will be targeting larger scallops once they’re allowed back into the closed areas. For now, bad weather is forcing smaller boats to stay in, and the larger vessels are limiting their days at sea because of dangerous icing on the decks. The scallops that are being landed right now are predominantly smaller (20/30s and 10/20s). We should see some relief on larger sizes near the middle to end of March. Prices should stabilize somewhat after that, and the outlook for the rest of the year should be good.

 

Hardshell clams, mussels, and oysters are all in good supply right now. It’s not too late to get those last-minute orders in for Valentine’s Day!

Good availability off the E/C this week. While the poor weather has kept some boats in, the few that are getting out are producing plenty of fish. Groundfish availability this week should be good. Wild striped bass are running again. After some high opening prices, things are starting to come down. Monkfish, lemon sole (dab), haddock, cod, and skate are in house and available this week.

WEST COAST 

Black cod still remains very tight. We were able to secure some for the weekend. However, supply will be very limited, so call your rep quick! The fish that are being landed are running a bit small as well, averaging in the 4lb-5lb range.

 

The Alaskan halibut season is right around the corner! March 7 is the tentative opening date. Early indications show that the quota will be cut back this year. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

 

Good availability off the W/C this week. Petrale sole is in good supply and is the W/C bargain of the week. Along with the petrale, we have Dover sole, ocean perch, grouper, rockfish, corvina, fresh Dungeness meat, yellowtail, and Pacific cod.

 

GREAT LAKES 

Walleye will be tight over the next couple of months. The fishermen are only allowed to catch 25% of the yearly quota within the first three months of the year. As numbers have not yet been finalized on the yearly quota, days on the water will be limited. By-catch items out of the Great Lakes will be limited as well until we see more walleye volume coming through.

 

SALMON 

The farmed salmon market continues to be tight. We are working diligently to source enough salmon to meet our needs and yours. Please work closely with your rep to get any orders in ahead of time to help ensure availability. Please keep in mind that we have a variety of salmon options available to you, including farm-raised Atlantic Loch Duart Scottish Salmon, Atlantic Tasmanian salmon, and New Zealand king salmon. We should start to see some relief around March, as more product is to become available in the market at that time.

 

Wild salmon season is coming up as well! We should start to see some fish become available in April. There may be some wild open-water troll kings available between now and then, but they will be pricey!

 

Great availability on the auction this weekend! Opakapaka, striped marlin, albacore tuna, spearfish (hebi), opah, and wahoo (ono) will be available this week. Look for opah on the weekend. Hawaiian swordfish is still very tight right now.

Crawfish are scarce this week! With the Saints being in the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras coming up, heavy rain, and cold temperatures, supply has been very limited and prices are up. We were able to source some for the weekend. However, if you don’t already have a preorder in, I would do that quickly because they are selling VERY fast!

 

Mahimahi, red grouper, escolar, yellowfin tuna, king mackerel, American red snapper, and kingfish all arrived yesterday and are available for sale this week. Swordfish remains very tight.

 

Ask your rep about our long list of sustainable items – Arctic char, Colorado trout, Faroe Islands Ocean Trout, Atlantic Loch Duart Scottish Salmon, Gigha Island halibut, New Zealand abalone, MSC-Certified Chilean Sea Bass, Colorado Hybrid Striped Bass, the list goes on. If you are looking to make any menu changes and have questions about sustainability, ask the experts. We would be happy to help you put together a menu that will help highlight these items.