At “The Oyster Bar,” we look to create the best restaurant experience money can buy. Even with the higher prices of fish in 2021, we pride ourselves on making your time with us a time to remember. Even as a pandemic continues to be on the move and the economy is up and down, we know the challenges that life has brought. One of the challenges for the seafood industry has been the price trajectory of Alaskan halibut.
The 2021 Start
Compared to 2020, the Alaskan halibut season saw prices rage upwards. Even with the limited demand, transportation issues put a lot of businesses behind the eight ball. For example, in March of 2021, the Pacific halibut fisher opened it doors. But, only 80 shipments were made in a two week period. 34 deliveries came from the Central Gulf and the other 46 were from the Southeast ports. The total delivers only amassed 350,000 pounds. This was way under from the last five years to this point in the year.
Price-Point
Normally, fish prices start high at the beginning of the season and work their way down, as the season comes to an end. In 2021, Alaska ports for halibut were paying no less than $5 for every pound. A year earlier, the average was around $4.
Selling Around The World
Because of the lack of Alaskan halibut coming into the United States of America, other countries are selling to the red, white, and blue to help out. Countries like Canada, Norway, Russia, and China are shipping millions of pounds and millions of dollars of halibut into America. Since Alaska catch limit is under 20 million pounds, halibut has to come from other places. This way, the halibut in the area will not be over-fished. The hope is the demand for halibut will go up, the prices will go down, and America can get more of its halibut from its neighbor to the north, instead of having it shipped in from further places around the globe.
