Dutch Harbour Seafood Market Balance and Opportunities

The Dutch Harbour seafood market is a significant player in the global seafood industry, with a unique balance of supply and demand that creates opportunities for growth.

The harbour's remote location and harsh climate make it an expensive place to operate, which keeps production costs high. However, this also means that Dutch Harbour is one of the most sustainable seafood producers in the world, with a low carbon footprint.

The harbour's fishery is primarily focused on cod, with a catch of over 10,000 tons per year. This makes cod the most valuable species in the harbour, with a price that can reach up to $10 per kilogram.

The harbour's seafood market is also known for its high-quality crab, which is in high demand due to its rich flavor and firm texture.

Dutch Harbour has been named the nation's top fishing port in terms of volume of seafood landed for the 23rd consecutive year.

Dutch Harbour landed 763 million pounds of seafood in 2019, valued at $190 million.

The majority of that volume in 2019 was from Alaska pollock, which goes into products like fish sandwiches, fish sticks, and sushi.

93% of the volume in 2019 was from Alaska pollock.

The pollock fishery is the largest fishery in the nation, but the value is very low compared to other seafood products.

Dutch Harbour held on to the title of top port for fishery landings for the 25th consecutive year with 745 million pounds crossing the docks in 2021.

61.5% of all seafood landed in the U.S. came from Alaska.

In 2021, Dutch Harbour was followed by the Aleutian Islands, which ranked second for volume at nearly 500 million pounds.

The Aleutian Islands are home to North America's largest seafood production facility at Akutan owned by Trident Seafoods.

Dutch Harbour's achievement is a testament to the health of the seafood industry in the Aleutians.

The seafood industry is the only major economic engine of Unalaska, and it's essential for the community's well-being.

The U.S. imported a whopping 6.8 billion pounds of seafood from other countries in 2021, valued at $28 billion.

This is a significant increase from previous years, with imports rising by 10.4% in terms of weight and 29.6% in terms of value.

Shrimp was the top import, accounting for 39% of the total, followed closely by fillets/steaks at 33%.

A staggering 51% of U.S. seafood imports come from Asia, making it a major player in the global seafood market.

The U.S. exported 2.5 billion pounds of edible seafood in 2021, a 5.3% increase from the previous year.

This exported seafood was valued at $5.2 billion, a notable 19.4% increase.

Interestingly, nearly half of the value of U.S. seafood exports goes to Asia, while 27% goes to Europe.

Seafood remains Alaska's top export, making up over half of the state's annual export value, which averages over $3 billion annually.