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 will be fishing local black cod, otherwise known as sablefish, rock cod and lingcod off the Monterey coast in the month of April. 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 as it has just started this month. 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 April. Our quality has been great and pricing has been consistent. |
| Halibut | The fresh Alaskan halibut season is open! We have a good supply of fish coming in. Prices continue to stay high with no sign of any relief. Small fish are readily available, but larger fish are inconsistent on a daily basis. Halibut has a firm texture with a gentle flavor. It pairs well with bolder seasonings like pesto, lemon juice and basil. |
| Mahi Mahi | We will continue to have a good fresh supply as we see a majority of the fish coming from Ecuador. We will also see mahi from Costa Rica and Mexico. The quality has been excellent! The fish should increase in size during Ecuador’s season. 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 April. 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 July. |
| Salmon, Keta | The season has ended and we have refreshed coho, king and sockeye available. Keta season starts back up again in June. |
| Salmon, King | The wild king salmon season is right around the corner! Until then, we are offering our off-season refreshed program with “frozen at sea” fish. Sizing will run in the 7-11 pound range, as most of the fish will be ocean run. The fresh season starts up again in May. We might see some early kings from Oregon and Canada this month, but a limited amount. Also, we do have wild troll caught king salmon available at certain times, as they have just started coming in! Sizing is in the 7-11lb range. |
| Salmon, Sockeye | The sockeye season is over. We are currently offering refreshed sockeye. Please check with your sales person for pricing and availability. The quality has been great and prices should remain stable! The fresh season starts next month! |
| 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 (mostly petrale) in the month of April from our local boat in Moss Landing, CA. and are excited about the catch as long as weather holds up for us. This can bring some local flavor to your table! So far, the catch has been very promising! Supplies look good as we get into April and we will also have other west coast sources. We also have a good supply of Dover sole. They should be a great value option! |
| Swordfish | Local California swordfish will be available along with swordfish from Hawaii, Mexico and 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 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 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. |
| Catfish | The USA (Mississippi and Alabama) supply has been hit by labor shortages due to the current pandemic. Supply and markets may be affected. The weather in the South has not helped the situation as larger fish are becoming scarce. Look for higher prices and some shortages this month. |
| Salmon, Norwegian | Prices appear to be on the rise for next month. Antibiotic Free (ABF) salmon from Norway has been fairly consistent in supply. This salmon is known for its deep rich flavor as it is raised in its natural habitat in the fjords of Norway. |
| Salmon | The farmed salmon market appears to be softening a bit as the Lenten season concludes. Chilean salmon seems to be of good value at this time. We are stocking Atlantic salmon from all areas, so check with your sales person on current pricing. We are also stocking Atlantic Sapphire, a sustainably sourced, Florida based Atlantic salmon (rated as a green Best Choice by Seafood Watch), so ask your sales representative for details. |
| 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 | We will have a good supply for the month of April. 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 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. Due to inconsistent flight schedules into the U.S., expect pricing on Norwegian steelhead trout to be much higher than Canadian. Canadian steelhead is still a great menu option to add to your menu. Domestic rainbow trout will see an increase in price as farming costs, as well as feed costs are being passed down to the consumer. |
| 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. |
| Crab, King | All sizes are very low in availability due to high retail 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 | Cold water lobster tail prices are up and will remain high. This is mainly due to Covid restrictions in harvesting and processing. There are more warm water lobsters available, but pricing is high because of the short supply of large cold water lobster. 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”. Prices are on the rise for this month for shucked oysters. Remember these little live bodies do not like large fluctuations in temperature. The good thing is, we are still in the cooler months which helps maintain quality. Keep them alive at a cool temperature of 34-38 degrees. Capitals ⃝ 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 the state's richest scallop fishing grounds. They have closed Cobscook, Whiting and Dennys bays for the rest of the fishing season to help conserve the scallop population, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said recently. Cobscook Bay is home to some of the most productive scallop fishing in the state. Scallops may still be harvested by drag boats and divers only going forward, the marine department said. The St. Croix River, another key scallop fishing area, will remain open until further notice. Maine is also closing a handful of other scallop fishing areas around the state, including instituting a partial closure of western Casco Bay. The scallops are prized by restaurants and seafood markets. Maine scallops were worth more than $4 million at the docks in 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available. The new season begins this month. This may ease up pricing and availability. |
| Shrimp | Farmed white shrimp pricing will remain high in April 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 will open this month! More information to follow as we get into the early harvest. We have a nice supply of frozen until then. Quality and supply have been excellent, so 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
