HONOLULU (13 December 2018)  The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), aka NOAA Fisheries, today released its Fisheries of the United States, 2017 report, with Honolulu continuing as the 7th most valuable US port in terms of landed seafood. The port with the highest value of seafood was New Bedford, Mass., with $389 million in landings, followed by five Alaska ports with landings ranging from $106 million to $173 million. Hawaii’s $104 million in landings was followed by 8th-place Empire-Venice, La., with $100 million in landings; 9th place Cape May-Wildwood, NJ, with $81 million in landings; and 10th-place Sitka, Alaska, with $75 million in seafood landings.

The announcement comes on the heels of the Fall 2018 Pacific Islands Fisheries News by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which showed that the commercial fishery statewide in Hawaii has an ex-vessel value of $120 million and is the state’s #1 food producer. Macadamia nuts ranked second with a farm-gate value of $54.9 million followed by cattle in 3rd place with a value of $43.9 million.  

For the NOAA Fisheries report, go to www.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/fisheries-united-states-2017. To read the Pacific Islands Fisheries News, go to agenda and documents, go to www.wpcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PIFN-Fall-2018.pdf.