SALMON/TROUT

The wild salmon season will continue to wind down throughout the month. The coho season should last well into October, but the catch thus far has been light, and filling retail ads remains a challenge. Troll kings are limited and higher priced, and the main king catch is coming from the Columbia River. Large fat-bellied head on net kings have also been available from Klamath River. Local catch off the Bellingham coast in Oregon is producing some very reasonably priced fillets.

Price is steady on the Atlantic front, with adequate production from Chile leading the way. Expect higher prices with increased demand in the coming months. Norwegian fillet prices remain firm. Try our Scottish Atlantics, flown in direct from the farms. Your Seattle Fish Company sales rep will guide you through all the salmon choices we offer.

Larger trout sizes, 10-oz. fillets and up, are still scarce. When the waters cool, conditions will be more conducive to trout growth. We expect good supply of all sizes heading into the holiday season.

CATFISH

Catfish numbers are almost back to normal, albeit at higher prices. Pricing, not supply, will likely dictate amounts of fish offered in retail stores. Still, the retailers will start to run promotional catfish ads in the near future. As predicted in earlier market reports, price support is necessary for increased catfish production.

WEST COAST

With slightly more than two months left in halibut season, prices remain firm. This season will definitely go down as the richest in history. If next year’s quotas are reduced again, expect more of the same.

The West Coast groundfish parade is led by the opening of the Alaska cod season on September 1. Retailers are offering ads, and food service accounts are adding a reasonably priced, flakey whitefish to menus. Adequate supply of rock cod, Pacific dover, and arrowtooth flounder fill out the offerings. Black cod, highly prized in Japan, remains at record-high price levels. From our more southern West Coast waters, we source grouper and baquetta bass, yellowtail, and dry Mexican bay scallops . Ask your sales rep about the highly prized uni and live urchin produced by our friends at Catalina Offshores in San Diego, featured in our monthly Seattle Fish Company newsletter.

EAST COAST

Large scallop prices off the New Bedford waters have firmed, as predicted. Most of the boats have used their days at sea in Closed Area I, but days remain in Closed Area II and the Hudson Canyon area. Most vessels, however, were tied up due to Hurricane Irene. Be aware of too-good-to-be-true offerings, because they generally are. This is the time of year when we start to see refreshed scallops hit the market with variable pricing. There’s nothing wrong with a previously frozen scallop, but be sure what you are buying. Trust your sales rep to guide you through the scallop waters.

Lobster prices dropped slightly last week. Back-to-school and less demand from summer vacationers creates greater supply. As with the scallops, be wary of very low lobster prices. Offers for less than market price likely mean less-than-full-meat lobsters. If you are looking for inexpensive lobsters, ask your rep about a soft-shell alternative. This product is sold “as is.”

SHELLFISH

Cooler fall temperatures will mean hardier shellfish. The summer heat challenges will be over shortly. More varieties of West and East Coast oysters will mean excellent selection for your winter menus. As always, choose Seattle Fish Company for quality and variety. Don’t forget to ask your sales rep about our oyster shell pickup program.

Crab, from Alaskan King to imported pasteurized, remains tight. King crab prices are at very high levels, and little relief is expected when the fall season opens. Blue crab also remains tight, even though production has increased slightly over the past 20-30 days. Production from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand will not be much help, as their “high season” is expected to be way down in production. If your favorite pouch crab is unavailable, we can likely offer a very close alternative. Jumbo lump and claw supplies should remain adequate, while special, regular lump, and super lump stays short. Additionally, the usual price culprits—a weak dollar and high fuel costs—contribute to escalating costs.

GULF

Gulf tuna production remains strong, even with a small hiccup in supply last week. These domestic yellowfins ensure quality fish of all grades. When available, we carry small tuna loins at very favorable pricing. Fresh Louisiana shrimp from our friends at Pontchartrain ensures steady supply.

Our “Gulf Wild” program is still going strong. The Gulf snappers we have received all summer were excellent quality. In addition to the Gulf wild snappers, grouper and tile bass should be more plentiful this fall. As always, tagged fish provide complete transparency and catch documentation. Log on to mygulfwild.com for more information.

GREAT LAKES

Good news is around the corner for fresh walleye fillets. Summer heat and other targeted species meant little supply, but our suppliers tell us we may have walleye later this week. Your rep will keep you updated on the first September shipment. Lake whitefish will also be more plentiful.

HAWAII

Less demand and higher auction numbers likely mean lower tuna prices at the Honolulu auction. Sourcing from Hawaii this August was difficult, due to less numbers and Japan’s voracious tuna appetite for top-quality big eyes. Many of these headed and gutted large tunas have fetched over $14/lb. Monchong, snappers, hebi, marlin, and opah will be part of the local catch this fall and winter.

As always, our knowledgeable sales staff and Seasonality Guide will successfully guide you through the many seafood choices we have at Seattle Fish Company.

Regards,

Harry Mahleres
Director of Purchasing

Harry@seattlefish.com
303.329.9595 ext. 121