Market Report

Winter Buys

• King crab prices drop…
  Winter storms may make it harder to find seafood from time to time, but there are still some good buys to be found at your local seafood counter. Consider King crab, for example. The catch of red king crab in Alaska has rebounded and that's put more of the bigger sizes on the market. Meanwhile in the Barents Sea, which is north of Norway and Russia, there is now a sizeable commercial fishery for red king crab, which Russian scientists transplanted from the Pacific in the late 1960s. Seems these king crab like their new home and in the past few years a good fishery has developed that is almost as big as Alaska's. As a result, the wholesale price of the largest sizes of king crab legs has dropped more than $2 a pound since last October to the lowest level in more than 10 years. This winter will be a great time to steam some of these big legs and treat yourself…
• Dungeness crab prices creep up…
  Dungeness crab is usually a great buy in the winter, as the ocean fishery off California, Oregon and Washington is at its peak. The last few years have produced record catches, but this year catches are back to more normal levels. That means Dungeness will still be a good buy, but look for prices to creep up as spring approaches and catches fall off…
• Bay scallops another very good buy…
  Harvests of bay scallops, which are farmed in the deep waters of Northeastern China, are near all time highs, making bays another very good buy. This is the same species of bay scallop that is native to the Northeastern U.S. (a.k.a. Nantucket bays); Chinese fish farmers introduced it to their waters in the 1980s and they now have the largest scallop-farming industry in the world. Our buyers are over in China this winter and we will be adding bays to our growing Simply Seafood line of high-value frozen seafood this spring.
• On the fish front…
  Demand for wild salmon, including our Pacific Keta salmon, continues to grow, as more consumers learn about the taste and health benefits of one of nature's perfect foods. Unfortunately, when demand grows for a fixed supply, prices often rise ­ and that's been the case for wild salmon lately, especially for pricey species like king salmon. Pacific Ketas, on the other hand, remain a very good value.
• Peak season…
  In the winter, it helps look to south – way south – if you're looking for seafood. In the Southern Hemisphere, where it's their summer, some fisheries are at their seasonal peak. Swordfish from Chile and Australia, for example, are usually readily available in our winter months. Mahi mahi from Ecuador and Peru also run strong in the winter months.
• Shrimp…
  Fortunately some seafoods are always in season and shrimp is the best example. The rising tide of farmed shrimp from Asia and Latin America has pushed prices down, making shrimp a super value. That has caught people's attention; since 2002 shrimp has been the most widely consumed seafood in America. Try broiling a few shrimp and using them as a salad topping for a change of pace.