 Contact: October 21, 2004 |
NMFS Northeast Regional Office N E W S
Commercial Fisheries Revenues for Northeast Coastal States Total $1.032 Billion in 2003 Gloucester, MA – Ex-vessel (dockside)
revenue from commercial fisheries in Northeast coastal states during
2003 totaled $1.032 billion. These revenue values are preliminary
data prepared by the Northeast region of the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NOAA Fisheries). Some data on 2003 harvests and revenues
will continue to trickle in throughout 2004; such data will be
added to the 2003 harvest and revenue database, but will generally
represent a very small change to the totals reported here. The
region's 10 coastal states are Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland,
and Virginia. |
| In nominal dollars, the 2003 commercial fisheries revenues were 0.2 percent higher than adjusted 2002 revenues, and 3.6 percent higher than adjusted 2001 revenues. In real dollars (recomputed to account for inflation), the 2003 commercial fisheries revenues were 1.4 percent lower than adjusted 2002 revenues, and 0.3 percent higher than adjusted 2001 revenues. Refer to Table 1 for the adjustments to 2001 and 2002 revenue data. Changes in harvests and revenues from one year to the next stem from several causes, including changes in the underlying populations of sought-after fisheries species and in the effort of fishermen to catch various species as determined by market demand, government regulations, etc. Summary of Revenue (in nominal dollars) and Harvest Data States In 2003, Massachusetts retained its first place among states in ex-vessel revenues. Massachusetts’ 2003 revenues of $292.5 million were a 1.6 percent decrease over 2002, and a 4.1 percent increase over 2001. The top five revenue-producing species landed in Massachusetts in 2003 were sea scallop ($106.9 million), American lobster ($52.3 million), Atlantic cod ($22.1 million), goosefish ($15.6 million), and haddock ($14.5 million). Goosefish (also called monkfish or angler) is not only harvested for its flesh, but also for its liver which is considered a delicacy in the Far East export market. Four states in the region showed increased commercial fisheries revenues from 2002 to 2003: Connecticut (+7.2 percent), New Jersey (+7.0 percent), Virginia (+5.9 percent), and New York (+0.6 percent). Five states showed decreased revenues: Massachusetts (-1.6 percent), Maine (-1.9 percent), Rhode Island (-2.5 percent), New Hampshire (-9.6 percent), and Delaware (-14.8 percent). Maryland showed no change in revenues from 2002 to 2003. Refer to Table 1. Ports In 2003, New Bedford, Massachusetts, retained its first place among ports in ex-vessel revenues. New Bedford's 2003 revenues of $176.2 million were a 4.3 percent increase over 2002, and a 17.1 percent increase over 2001. The top five revenue-producing species landed in New Bedford in 2003 were sea scallop ($102.8 million), yellowtail flounder ($9.5 million), haddock ($9.2 million), Atlantic cod ($8.3 million), and goosefish ($7.5 million). In 2003, 18 Northeast fishing ports had ex-vessel revenues in excess of $10 million, thus qualifying them for "major" port status. From 2002 to 2003, 11 of these major ports showed increased revenues, six showed decreased revenues, and one showed no change. In 2003, one port joined the major ports list for the first time (Port Clyde, Maine), one port rejoined the list after several years of absence (Southwest Harbor, Maine), and one port dropped off the list from 2002 (Harpswell, Maine). Refer to Table 2. Species In 2003, the fishery for American lobster retained its first place in ex-vessel revenue. The $285.6 million of revenue from the 2003 lobster harvest was a 2.6 percent decrease over 2002, and a 12.1 percent increase over 2001. Maine accounted for 70.7 percent, and Massachusetts for 18.3 percent, of revenues from the 2003 lobster harvest. Refer to Table 3. In 2003, the fishery for sea scallop retained its second place in ex-vessel revenue. The $228.6 million of revenue from the 2003 sea scallop harvest was a 13.8 percent increase over 2002, and a 32.4 percent increase over 2001. Massachusetts accounted for 46.8 percent, Virginia for 29.9 percent, and New Jersey for 19.0 percent, of revenues from the 2003 sea scallop harvest. Refer to Table 4. Of the 46 species or species groups which each provided more than $1 million in ex-vessel revenues during 2003, 23 showed an increase over 2002, 22 showed a decrease, and one showed no change. Among the top dozen species in 2003 revenue, sea scallop (+13.7 percent), summer flounder (+10.3 percent), softshell clam (+5.4 percent), goosefish (+3.5 percent), and ocean quahog (+2.0 percent) showed increased revenues over 2002; Atlantic menhaden (-0.4 percent), Atlantic surfclam (-0.8 percent), blue crab (-1.5 percent), American lobster (-2.6 percent), northern quahog (-8.6 percent), Atlantic cod (-10.4 percent), and longfin inshore squid (-15.3 percent) showed decreased revenues. Ocean quahog, a large bivalve mollusk, is most often used in prepared seafoods such as clam chowder. Atlantic menhaden (also called pogy) is a small, oily, nonseafood fish species which is used primarily for production of meal, oil, and solubles, and secondarily for livestock feed and for bait by commercial and recreational fishermen. Atlantic surfclam is a typical ingredient in fried clam strips. Northern quahog (also called hard clam) is a major item in the U.S. fresh seafood market. Longfin inshore squid (also called loligo) is a major export item, especially to Mediterranean markets. Two low-value species, Atlantic menhaden and Atlantic herring, dominated the harvested poundage. More than 399 million pounds of menhaden were harvested in 2003, a 0.5 percent increase from 2002, and a 23.1 percent decrease from 2001. More than 200 million pounds of herring were harvested in 2003, a 33.0 percent increase from 2002, and a 6.1 percent decrease from 2001. Herring is not only a seafood species, but also a bait species; it is used extensively in the trap fisheries for American lobster. Atlantic salmon, a prized seafood as well as gamefish, is not harvested by commercial fisheries but raised in commercial aquaculture. Consequently, no data on Atlantic salmon are included in these tables and descriptions. Nonetheless, in 2003 there were 13.2 million pounds of Atlantic salmon worth $28.2 million dollars produced in the Northeast. Refer to Table 5. Sources and Availability of Harvest and Revenue Data Harvest and revenue data on Northeast fisheries are collected throughout the year by both NOAA Fisheries and the various state marine fisheries agencies in the region. Most finfish and shellfish purchasers ("dealers") who hold a federal permit in the Northeast are required to report their purchases from fishing vessels to NOAA Fisheries. Although the reports from these federally permitted dealers provide the bulk of the available harvest and revenue data, other data come from non-federally permitted dealers and from other sources as well. ### |
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Table 5. Preliminary ex-vessela revenue and harvested poundageb of commercial fisheries for major speciesc in the Northeast during 2001-2003. (Names in parentheses are unofficial but locally common names for the same species.) |
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|
Species |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|||
|
$ |
Lb. |
$ |
Lb. |
$ |
Lb. |
|
|
American lobster |
254.8 |
73.7 |
293.3 |
82.3 |
285.6 |
72.0 |
|
Sea scallop |
172.6 |
46.3 |
201.1 |
52.3 |
228.6 |
55.8 |
|
Blue crab |
70.9 |
61.0 |
61.7 |
63.1 |
60.8 |
56.0 |
|
Atlantic surfclam |
39.6 |
68.9 |
39.8 |
72.0 |
39.5 |
69.5 |
|
Goosefish (monkfish, angler) |
43.9 |
51.2 |
37.2 |
50.2 |
38.5 |
57.1 |
|
Northern quahog (hardshell clam) |
39.7 |
8.5 |
40.5 |
10.0 |
37.0 |
8.5 |
|
Atlantic cod |
32.1 |
33.2 |
30.7 |
28.9 |
27.5 |
23.6 |
|
Ocean quahog |
23.9 |
38.0 |
25.5 |
40.0 |
26.0 |
41.9 |
|
Atlantic menhaden (pogy) |
27.8 |
519.4 |
24.5 |
397.1 |
24.4 |
399.2 |
|
Longfin inshore squid (Loligo) |
20.7 |
31.3 |
23.5 |
36.8 |
19.9 |
26.3 |
|
Softshell (softshell clam) |
19.0 |
3.5 |
16.6 |
2.9 |
17.5 |
2.7 |
|
Summer flounder (fluke) |
13.3 |
8.2 |
15.5 |
10.4 |
17.1 |
10.7 |
|
Haddock |
14.5 |
12.8 |
19.1 |
16.7 |
17.0 |
15.0 |
|
Atlantic herring |
12.9 |
213.6 |
9.8 |
150.8 |
14.5 |
200.6 |
|
Yellowtail flounder |
15.3 |
16.1 |
13.3 |
11.8 |
14.1 |
12.3 |
|
Winter flounder (blackback, lemon sole) |
13.8 |
15.3 |
14.0 |
13.0 |
12.5 |
13.0 |
|
Eastern oyster |
12.6 |
2.7 |
12.9 |
2.0 |
12.4 |
1.8 |
|
Striped bass |
10.8 |
5.9 |
10.2 |
5.6 |
12.0 |
6.5 |
|
Silver hake (whiting) |
13.3 |
28.6 |
7.4 |
17.6 |
9.3 |
19.0 |
|
Witch flounder (gray sole) |
7.9 |
6.7 |
8.6 |
7.0 |
9.3 |
6.9 |
|
Bluefin tuna |
17.2 |
2.6 |
14.4 |
2.4 |
8.5 |
1.8 |
|
Atlantic mackerel |
2.2 |
27.2 |
6.2 |
58.6 |
7.9 |
75.6 |
|
Sea wormsd |
9.3 |
1.4 |
8.0 |
1.1 |
7.3 |
1.0 |
|
American plaice (dab) |
9.5 |
9.8 |
8.6 |
7.5 |
6.3 |
5.4 |
|
Scup (porgy) |
3.4 |
4.1 |
4.8 |
7.3 |
5.9 |
9.8 |
|
Pollock |
6.2 |
9.1 |
6.2 |
7.9 |
5.4 |
10.6 |
|
Black sea bass |
4.0 |
2.6 |
5.6 |
3.3 |
5.4 |
2.6 |
|
White hake |
3.9 |
7.7 |
4.6 |
7.2 |
4.6 |
9.8 |
|
Blue mussel |
2.1 |
3.1 |
4.0 |
4.7 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
|
Swordfish |
4.5 |
1.8 |
4.4 |
2.0 |
4.3 |
2.0 |
|
Skatesd |
3.4 |
28.9 |
3.5 |
28.7 |
4.0 |
32.0 |
|
Atlantic croaker |
4.2 |
16.6 |
4.9 |
15.8 |
4.0 |
14.1 |
|
Northern shortfin squid (Illex) |
1.9 |
8.8 |
1.4 |
6.0 |
3.9 |
13.6 |
|
Red deepsea crab |
8.1 |
8.8 |
4.0 |
4.8 |
3.6 |
4.2 |
|
Tilefishesd |
3.3 |
1.9 |
3.5 |
1.9 |
3.6 |
2.5 |
|
Northern shrimp (Pandalus) |
2.4 |
2.7 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
2.1 |
2.4 |
|
Spot |
1.5 |
3.6 |
1.3 |
3.2 |
1.8 |
3.7 |
|
Jonah crab |
1.7 |
2.7 |
1.5 |
2.6 |
1.6 |
3.2 |
|
Atlantic rock crab |
1.6 |
4.1 |
0.5 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
3.1 |
|
Conchsd |
2.2 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
0.8 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
|
Bluefish |
1.7 |
4.5 |
1.7 |
4.5 |
1.3 |
3.8 |
|
Knobbed whelk |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
1.0 |
|
Channeled whelk |
1.6 |
0.6 |
1.3 |
0.5 |
1.2 |
0.6 |
|
Sea cucumbersd |
0.2 |
3.3 |
0.5 |
10.3 |
1.1 |
20.1 |
|
American eel |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
1.1 |
0.8 |
|
Weakfish (gray sea trout, squeteague) |
2.0 |
3.0 |
2.1 |
2.9 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
|
a Ex-vessel
revenue is based on prices paid for wild-caught resources prior to
any onshore handling, processing, or reselling. |
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NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries, please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov. The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service * One Blackburn Rd. * Gloucester, MA * 01930 |
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