October 29, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA:
America’s commercial and recreational fisheries show continued stability and make a large contribution to the nation’s economy thanks to sustainable fisheries management policies, according to a new report from NOAA Fisheries.
U.S. fishermen landed 9.5 billion pounds of fish and shellfish, valued at $5.4 billion, in 2014, according to the new edition of NOAA Fisheries’ annual report, Fisheries of the United States 2014, released today. These figures are similar to those from 2013; both the volume and value continue to remain higher than the average for the past five years.
The report shows the total landings for pollock was up five percent since 2013 to 3.1 billion pounds, valued at $400 million. The report also shows that for the 18th consecutive year, the Alaska port of Dutch Harbor led the nation with the highest amount of seafood landed–761.8 million pounds, valued at $191.4 million. The Dutch Harbor catch was primarily walleye pollock, which accounted for 87 percent of the volume.