March 5, 2026 — The reports that give annual snapshots of the US fishing industry were belatedly released by a diminished NOAA Fisheries staff last month and attracted little fan fare.
Titled “2023 Fisheries of the United States” and “2023 Fisheries Economics of the United States” —they present easy to read data and trends from across the US for both commercial and recreational fishing.
Here are some key takeaways —
For the 26th consecutive year, Dutch Harbor led the nation as the port with the highest volume of seafood landed (780.1 million pounds valued at $224.5 million). Landings in Dutch Harbor increased in 2023 from 613.5 million pounds from the previous year
For the 23rd consecutive year, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the port with the highest valued catch in the nation (76.9 million pounds valued at $363.3 million).
In all, nine Alaska ports ranked among the top 20 for volume of seafood landings and seven were on the list for value. Sea scallops have historically made up the majority of the value landed in New Bedford.