Seafood Market News
Get the Inside Scoop on the latest market trends and updates on the seafood industry. Our market news page is updated each month so you can stay on top of seasonal seafood changes and be aware of price fluctuations.
Welcome to the Lusamerica market news page.
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| Wild Fish | Season Information |
|---|---|
| Cod | We are fishing local black cod, otherwise known as sablefish, rock cod and lingcod off the California coast in the month of June. The season is ongoing. Catch has been good as long as the weather holds up for us. True cod will continue to be sourced from Alaska. The Alaskan season looks good. We also have Icelandic cod as a new option. It is sweet and mild with large firm flakes. Steamed, roasted, braised, sautéed or fried, it is always a natural favorite. |
| Corvina | Supplies of corvina are readily available this month. They are fished all year round along the southwestern side of the Central and South American coasts. Corvina is great for broiling, grilling and pan frying. We should have inventory regularly throughout June. Our quality has been great and pricing has been consistent. |
| Halibut | The fresh Alaskan halibut season is in full swing, but prices are high and show no sign of relief. All sizes are available and supply is improving. Halibut has a firm texture with a gentle flavor. It pairs well with bolder seasonings like pesto, lemon juice and basil. |
| Mahi Mahi | Mahi has tightened up with limited supplies. We are sourcing from several countries. Ecuador, Costa Rica and Mexico. The quality has been excellent when we can get it, but demand is outstripping supply. Expect prices to escalate in the near future. Like halibut, mahi has a mild flavor, but is more delicate than halibut with a distinct tropical sweetness. |
| Ono and Opah | Ecuador, Hawaii and Southern California will continue to contribute to the supply in June. Availability is spotty, but we will continue to offer these fish when available. Opah/ono quality has been terrific with a nice meat color. Catch it while you can as availability is day by day. This is due to the fact that these fish do not school, and are caught individually by fishermen using longline gear. |
| Salmon, Coho | The fresh season is still closed this month. Please be aware of our refreshed program, as the quality is excellent. Refreshed fish are whole fish that were frozen at sea, now thawed in refrigeration, and processed. Pricing should be stable. The fresh season starts in late June to early July. With its orange- red flesh, firm texture and delicate flavor, many consider Coho to be the best salmon for all around cooking applications. |
| Salmon, Keta | The season will be opening in mid-June. With a mild flavor and firm flesh, Keta salmon are a great choice for grilling and roasting. Lower cooking temperatures are recommended because of its lower fat content than other wild salmon species. A great 4th of July feature item! |
| Salmon, King | The wild king salmon season has opened and recent catch has been coming in nicely. We expect a price decrease in early June as availability increases. The fish are excellent in quality and appearance. Also known as Chinook, wild Alaskan King Salmon are prized for their color, high oil content, firm texture and succulent flesh. There is also a limited supply of Alaskan Copper River Kings currently available. |
| Salmon, Sockeye | The sockeye season in Alaska has started! Alaskan Copper River sockeye are coming in now. While prices are high, we expect to see prices decrease throughout June as additional fishing grounds in Alaska open up. Sockeye are well known for their rich flavor and distinctive deep red flesh, which retains its color throughout all cooking application. |
| Seabass | Pacific seabass has been “hit or miss”, and so far, more a miss. We will see fish from Mexico and Ecuador as they follow their food south. Seabass is a great quality white fish to add to your menu. It tends to be very mild and not “fishy” in flavor. The larger size fish are 18-20 pounds. Right now, availability is tight. |
| Sole | We are fishing local sole in June from our fishing vessel out of Moss Landing, CA. When weather is bad on the central coast, we have other west coast sources available as a backup. Sole is available all year long and include petrale, dover, rex and arrowtooth. Delicious whether sautéed, roasted, broiled or grilled, it’s a great way to bring local flavor to your table. Sole is very versatile, a great value option, and pairs well with rubs, marinades and sauces. |
| Swordfish | Local California swordfish will be available along with swordfish from Hawaii, Mexico, Ecuador and Australia. Although available year-round, Supply has been tight. Look for increases this month. With its mild flavor and firm texture, swordfish is perfect for grilling, and eats like a meat lover’s dream! |
| Tuna, Ahi | #1 ahi longline-caught tuna will be available from Hawaii and the Philippines. #1 is sometimes limited due to inconsistent flights outside the United States. #2+ tuna will be in steady supply from Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia. Our #2+ quality is excellent, so give it a sear at your next cookout! |
| Tuna, Albacore | Albacore season has started and availability has improved! Look for availability to open up even more as we start the summer fishing season. Availability should improve when various areas open for fishing. Also known as white tuna, it is more delicate than ahi. You can almost compare them to red and white wine. |
| Farmed Fish | Season Information |
|---|---|
| Branzino | This is one of the fastest growing fresh seafood items in the foodservice industry! Its sweet flaky meat is popular in Italian cuisine and the quality has been great. We are stocking the fish with head-on and guts-in. This is the most popular way to prepare it. This farm-raised fish from the Mediterranean is a good item to throw into the mix, as customers continue to look for alternatives to the mainstream seafood offerings. Grill it whole for a unique seafood experience! |
| Catfish | The USA (Mississippi and Alabama) supply has been hit by labor shortages due to the current pandemic. Supply and markets have been affected. Larger fish are becoming scarce. Look for higher prices and some shortages this month. |
| Salmon, Norwegian | Prices appear to be on the rise for this month as it will follow the current famed salmon market. Antibiotic Free (ABF) salmon from Norway has been fairly consistent in supply, but the market tends to follow the Canadian market. This salmon is known for its deep rich flavor as it is raised in its natural habitat in the fjords of Norway. |
| Salmon | The Canadian, Chilean and Norwegian farmed salmon prices have drastically increased since mid-May. Farms are low on fish, wild salmon prices are high and there is increased demand as we enter grilling season. All of these factors have created a “perfect storm” for these high markets and we are seeing extreme price increases week to week. Sporadic shortages may be in the near future and prices are expected to remain high for the next several weeks. We are stocking Atlantic salmon from all areas, including Florida-based Bluehouse Salmon by Atlantic Sapphire (green rated for sustainability by Seafood Watch). Ask your sales representative for current pricing. |
| Striped Bass | Land-based and farm-raised, this sustainable fish from Texas is a great, clean tasting alternative to many other white fish species. Give it a try and you will love it! The fish is delicious, healthy and extremely versatile. It’s also rated as a green Best Choice by Seafood Watch. |
| Swai | Pricing on swai is steady. This fish is a type of white fish with a mild flavor and flaky texture. It’s a freshwater fish that’s native to the Vietnamese rivers and a type of catfish. |
| Tilapia | Prices are on the increase as supply chain challenges are coming into the market. There is a current strike in Mexico. Shortages may occur as availability in other countries is not enough to keep up with demand. Our tilapia is certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and comes from Mexico, Honduras, Columbia, Brazil and Ecuador. It’s good quality and nice fillet sizes of 5-7 ounces. Tilapia is typically a great value with a mild flavor. |
| Trout | We are stocking an excellent Norwegian steelhead trout which has a high fat content and a larger fillet size. We expect pricing on Norwegian steelhead to be much higher than Canadian. Canadian steelhead is still a great menu option to add to your menu. |
| Shellfish | Season Information |
|---|---|
| Clams and Mussels | Littleneck clams are readily available in 8 count and 13 count per pound sizes. Manila clams are stocked in our Fife, Washington location. We also have larger cherry stone clams available. Ask your sales representative for the best variety to meet your demand. We are also stocking Mediterranean mussels in Fife, Washington and Prince Edward Island mussels in Morgan Hill, California. We always have a great variety! |
| Crab, Dungeness | Pacific crab season has ended. Catch was low with high demand. Prices are extremely high on whole cooked crabs and fresh crabmeat. Pieces are up by at least $2.00 a pound on crabmeat since the beginning of the month. |
| Crab, King | All sizes are very low in availability due to high seasonal demand. We are stocking red king crab legs & claws from Russia in the 6-9, 9-12 12-14, and 16-20 sizes when available. The unit of measure is based on legs per 10 pounds. The quality is great, but pricing continues to climb due to labor challenges in harvesting and packing, as well as high demand. |
| Crab, Pasteurized | Prices remain strong as we saw major increases last month. Fully cooked and ready to eat, many people choose to the meat as part of a prepared dish or ingredient. |
| Crawfish | The supply will be in good shape for the month and pricing continues to be steady. Also known as crayfish, craydids and crawdaddies, they are a freshwater crustacean resembling mini lobster. |
| Lobsters | Lobster tail prices are up and will remain high. This is mainly due to Covid restrictions in harvesting and processing. Both cold and warm water lobsters are in big demand and very tight in availability. Lobster meat prices will also increase as supply tries to keep up with demand. Live Maine lobster season is rolling, but high priced. |
| Oysters | Many producers in the Northwest have seen a reduction in labor due to the Covid situation, so the supply out of the Northwest (Washington) will be “hit or miss” at any given time. Prices are on the rise for this month for shucked oysters as supply is tight. Remember these little live bodies do not like large fluctuations in temperature. Keep them alive at a cool temperature of 34-38 degrees. Carbajals ⃝ Clean and crisp with a pure sea salt flavor, these tide tumbled little guys are known for their deep cup shell and large meat fill. Kumamoto ⃝ A deep cupped oyster with a mild brininess and sweet finish. They are the honeydew of the oyster family! Kusshi ⃝ Meaning “Ultimate” in Japanese, they are raised in the deep bay on the east side of Vancouver Island. Don’t let the small size fool you as they have a nice, plump, tender meat fill. Little Skookum ⃝ They are sweet flavored oysters with a mild salinity taste. They are harvested in the shallow waters along the southern tip of the Puget Sound, far away from the salty ocean waters. |
| Scallops | Maine fishing regulators have closed Cobscook, Whiting and Dennys bays for the rest of the fishing season to help conserve the scallop population. Cobscook Bay is home to some of the most productive scallop fishing in the state. Maine is also closing a handful of other scallop fishing areas around the state, including instituting a partial closure of western Casco Bay. The St. Croix River, another key scallop fishing area, will remain open. The scallops are prized by restaurants and seafood markets. Extreme price increases are already happening, especially on the U/10, (under 10 scallops per pound) and should continue through June. A possible option might be to take a look at our 10/20 scallops, as they are not seeing such drastic increases. |
| Shrimp | Farmed white shrimp pricing will remain high in June due to lack of production caused by Covid. The shortage in labor has caused challenges in harvesting and packing in areas such as India and Southeast Asia. The domestic Gulf shrimp season is running, and availability should be steady throughout the month. The smaller cooked shrimp are high in demand and low in availability which will reflect in the cost. Look out for increases in price throughout the month. Black tiger shrimp continues its upswing in pricing due to shortages in 21 count per pound or smaller. Larger sizes, 15 count per pound or higher, may stabilize before the smaller sizes. The wild Mexican shrimp season is over. Pricing is extremely high and availability is extremely low, especially on the larger sizes. |
| Shrimp meat | The fresh season is open and supply is looking good! Multiple sizes are now available, so take advantage! It is all natural and wild harvest. You can eat it right out of the bucket, or create a nice shrimp meat salad on top of toasted bread! |
Seasonal Chart
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About Lusamerica
Family, woman and minority owned since 1975 distributing seafood to the Western United States.
Tel: (408) 778-7200 | toll free: (800) 974-6622 | email: info@lusamerica.com
