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Where the Wild Things Are: Seasonal Aspects of U.S. Fisheries
Post #13 | 11-6-09
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Seasonal Factors
So what generally determines and impacts commercial fishing seasons in U.S. waters, it's schedules, prices and stock availability from year to year ?
1. Agency regulations and quotas determine the length of commercial fishing seasons each year. The numbers of fish are monitored to determine opening dates, and fishermen are issued quotas mandating how many fish they can take during the season. Seasons can be shut down early, or run their full course, affecting quantity and prices.
2. Ocean conditions such as temperature and current patterns, directly affecting the numbers and locations of different species of fish. Climate change is already a factor here as it further changes these conditions, it also has the potential to be the big game changer in years ahead.
3. Availability can depend on what fish/seafood you're looking for: some are more overfished than others, some are in little to no danger, some stocks are recovering. The list is in constant revision. Plus, not everything is known about all patterns of every species yet. As the science comes in, the fishing status of the species may change.
4. Availability can also depend on where the fish is coming from and if it is caught illegally.
5. Other factors include things like bad weather shortening fishing time, or whether the seafood is 'wild caught' or a product of aquaculture (farmed).
These are just some of the variables, there are no doubt more.
WHERE AND WHEN
Let's now take a general look at some of the seafood to be found in U.S. areas as far as the where's and when's within a 'normal' season.
West Coast U.S. Seafood Availability Chart
| Species | Market Forms | Availability | Origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albacore | Whole/Dressed | July-October | OR-WA |
| Ling/True Cod | Dressed/Filet/Steak | Year | AK-CA-OR-WA |
| Flounder/Sole | Whole/Dressed/Filet | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Halibut* | Whole/Filet/Steak | April-September | AK-WA |
| Ocean Perch | Dressed/Filet | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Rockfish/Snapper | Round/Dressed/Filet/Steak | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Chinook/King Salmon* | Dressed/Filet/Steak | April-October | AK-CA-OR-WA |
| Coho/Silver Salmon* | Dressed/Filet/Steak | May-November | AK-CA-OR-WA |
| Sockeye & Pink Salmon | Dressed/Filet/Steak | May-September | AK-OR-WA |
| Chum/Keta Salmon | Dressed/Filet/Steak | May-December | AK-WA |
| Shad | Dressed | April-June | OR-WA |
| Blue Shark | Filet/Steak | Year | CA-OR |
| Bonito Shark | Filet/Steak | May-October | CA |
| Soupfin Shark | Filet/Steak | May-October | OR-CA |
| Mako Shark | Filet/Steak | May-October | CA |
| Thresher Shark | Filet/Steak | May-October | CA |
| Pacific Smelt | Round | July-August | WA |
| Columbia River Smelt | Round/Dressed | January-March | OR-WA |
| Swordfish* | Chunks/Steak | May-December | CA |
| Trout, Various | Dressed/Boned/Filet | Year | ID-OR |
| Clams, Various | Whole/Shucked | Year | WA-OR |
| Dungeness Crab* | Whole/Picked Meat | December-September | AK-CA-OR-WA |
| King Crab | Whole/Legs/Meat | September-March | AK |
| Crawfish | Whole/Tails | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Octopus | Dressed | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Oysters, Various | Whole/Shucked | Year | CA-OR-WA |
| Sea Scallops | Shucked | Year | OR-WA |
| Pacific Bay Shrimp | Cooked & Peeled | April-October | AK-CA-OR-WA |
| Calamari Squid | Whole/Cleaned Tubes |
Jan-March/May-Nov | CA-OR |
* Limited Availability, depending on Quota
Availability may overlap because of allocations and timing of runs, especially Pacific Halibut & Wild Salmon.
Mollusks could also be affected because of water temperature and resulting red tide.
Salmon, and other deep water sea fish, are the highest in omega 3 oils. What you'll find, however, is as much of a 300% variation in the omega 3 content of fish by season. At the start of the migrating season, salmon are rich in omega 3 oils, but they do not eat while migrating, so by the end of migration, they have depleted their fat reserves.
East Coast and Gulf Region United States Seafood Availability Chart
| Species | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | ||||||||||||
| Haddock | ||||||||||||
| Pollack | ||||||||||||
| Flounder/Sole | ||||||||||||
| Whiting | ||||||||||||
| Hake | ||||||||||||
| Sea Bass | ||||||||||||
| Striper | ||||||||||||
| Mackerel | ||||||||||||
| Calicos | ||||||||||||
| Bay Scallops | ||||||||||||
| Sea Scallops | ||||||||||||
| Mussels | ||||||||||||
| Lobsters | ||||||||||||
| Squid | ||||||||||||
| Oysters | ||||||||||||
| Gulf-Shrimp | ||||||||||||
| Rock Shrimp |
In Closing
Today's look at U.S. fisheries was just a quick overview. Our bordering Alaskan, Northern and Southern Pacific, Northern and Southern Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico waters all
deserve an in-depth look. We'll be doing just that in future editions of Notes from the Kitchen.
What is going on day by day in each region's
fisheries is fascinating and we invite you to
further explore for yourself until then. True seafood lovers owe it to themselves.
World Fisheries Day is Nov 21
World Fisheries Day celebrations serve as an important reminder that we must focus on changing the way the world
manages global fisheries to ensure sustainable stocks and healthy oceans ecosystems. It is a day about raising awareness and coming together. It is also
a day about sharing joy, appreciation and concern for a 10,000 year old industry; one that must in complete health once again thrive.
We can no longer contribute to the collapse or near collapse of significant wild fisheries,
not one more overexploited ecosystem can be acceptable. Much important and successful work
is being done around the world to bring sustainability to each fishery, each season.
There is hope as we've already turned things around in some of them just recently, Alaska comes to mind.
By continuing the work we've started, along with awareness, education, and some common sense; we'll be ensuring that generations ahead can enjoy the bounty as well.
A bounty for each season. LINKS
World fishing today.com -News from around the world about commercial fishing
Southern Offshore Fishing Association -A Florida Fishing Blog
Commercial-Fishing.org -News, events, and other info for the commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industries
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