(SitNews) - In the 2013 annual report, Fisheries of the United States 2013, released today, NOAA Fisheries announced that U.S. fishermen landed 9.9 billion pounds of fish and shellfish, an increase of 245 million pounds from 2012. Valued at $5.5 billion, these landings represent an increase of $388 million from 2012.

"Commercial and recreational fishing are important contributors to our economy and help create jobs throughout our nation’s communities," said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA Fisheries. "Working with our partners, the regional fishery management councils, and the fishing industry, we've made great strides on ending overfishing and are working toward building resilient, healthy and sustainable fish and shellfish stocks."

Fishing Vessel
Photo courtesy NOAA

The report shows that for the 17th consecutive year, the Alaska port of Dutch Harbor led the nation with the highest amount of seafood landed, primarily walleye pollock. Dutch Harbor fishers landed 753 million pounds valued at $197 million.

For the 14th consecutive year, New Bedford, Massachusetts, had the highest valued catch --130 million pounds, valued at $379 million--due mostly to the highly valued sea scallop fishery. Sea scallops accounted for more than 81 percent of the value of New Bedford landings.

The report also shows that while national total of fish and shellfish landings remained about the same, total landings of wild salmon topped one billion pounds, setting a new record, up 68 percent from 2012.

Figures for recreational fishing activities remained strong. Nearly 9.5 million recreational saltwater anglers in the United States took more than 71 million marine fishing trips in 2013 and caught more than 430 million fish, of which, 61 percent were released alive.

Spotted seatrout was the top catch for recreational anglers, with 38 million fish caught in 2013. Atlantic croaker, black sea bass, summer flounder and red drum were the other most common catches for saltwater anglers.

Marine aquaculture production in the U.S. has been increasing steadily in recent years, about 10 percent a year from 2008 to 2012, the latest figures available. The top U.S. marine aquaculture species are oysters ($136 million), clams ($99 million), and Atlantic salmon ($77 million).

The report also shows that the average American ate 14.5 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2013, essentially unchanged from 2012.

Commercial fishery landings at major U. S. ports
by poundage for the year 2013:

01 Dutch Harbor, AK... 752.5 millions of pounds.... $197.2 million
02 Aleutian Islands (Other), AK.... 469.5 millions of pounds.... $104.9 million
03 Kodiak, AK... 425.6 millions of pounds.... $ 153.6 million
04 Empire-Venice, LA.... 421.9 millions of pounds.... $ 82.5 million
05 Reedville, VA... 317.7 millions of pounds.... $29.6 million
06 Intracoastal City, LA.... 248.9 millions of pounds.... $25.8 million
07 Cameron, LA... 194.7 millions of pounds.... $7.3 million
08 Alaska Penninsula (Other), AK..... 187.2 millions of pounds.... $102.1 million
09 Pascagoula-Moss Point, MS... 171.1 millions of pounds.... $11.3 million
10 Astoria, OR.... 158.7 millions of pounds.... $50.2 million
11 Cordova, AK... 147.4 millions of pounds.... $91.5 million
12 Ketchikan, AK.... 143.5 millions of pounds.... $76.2 million
13 Westport, WA... 139.6 millions of pounds.... $65.1 million
14 New Bedford, MA... 129.8 millions of pounds.... $379.0 million
15 Newport, OR.... 126.8 millions of pounds.... $55.1 million
16 Sitka, AK... 126.2 millions of pounds.... $84.3 million
17 Petersburg, AK... 122.6 millions of pounds.... $73.0 million
18 Los Angeles, CA... 113.1 millions of pounds.... $34.2 million
19 Port Hueneme-Oxnard-Ventura, CA... 104.7 millions of pounds.... $39.8 million
20 Seward, AK.... 84.3 millions of pounds.... $69.7 million
21 Naknek, AK.... 78.3 millions of pounds.... $88.6 million
22 Gloucester, MA... 62.4 millions of pounds.... $42.3 million
23 Portland, ME... 62.1 millions of pounds.... $31.5 million
24 Valdez, AK.... 60.9 millions of pounds.... $28.7 million
25 Point Judith, RI.... 54.6 millions of pounds.... $46.7 million
More rankings....
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/other-specialized-programs/total-commercial-fishery-landings-at-major-u-s-ports-summarized-by-year-and-ranked-by-poundage/index

Commercial fishery landings at major U. S. ports
ranked by dollar value for the year 2013:

01 New Bedford, MA... 129.8 million pounds $379.0 million
02 Dutch Harbor, AK 752.5 million pounds $197.2 million
03 Kodiak, AK 425.6 million pounds $153.6 million
04 Aleutian Islands (Other), AK 469.5 million pounds $104.9 million
05 Alaska Penninsula (Other), AK 187.2 million pounds $102.1 million
06 Honolulu, HI 29.0 million pounds $95.0 million
07 Cordova, AK 147.4 million pounds $91.5 million
08 Naknek, AK 78.3 million pounds $88.6 million
09 Sitka, AK 126.2 million pounds $84.3 million
10 Empire-Venice, LA 421.9 million pounds $82.5 million
11 Ketchikan, AK 143.5 million pounds $76.2 million
12 Petersburg, AK 122.6 million pounds $73.0 million
13 Brownsville-Port Isabel, TX 20.7 million pounds $72.7 million
14 Galveston, TX 22.6 million pounds $71.5 million
15 Seward, AK 84.3 million pounds $69.7 million
16 Westport, WA 139.6 million pounds $65.1 million
17 Bristol Bay (Other), AK 41.2 million pounds $64.1 million
18 Dulac-Chauvin, LA 37.1 million pounds $63.6 million
19 Newport, OR 126.8 million pounds $55.1 million
20 Astoria, OR 158.7 million pounds $50.2 million
21 Stonington, ME 19.9 million pounds $48.9 million
22 Point Judith, RI 54.6 million pounds $46.7 million
23 Shelton, WA 13.1 million pounds $45.5 million
24 Gloucester, MA 62.4 million pounds $42.3 million
25 Kenai, AK 35.6 million pounds $40.1 million
More rankings....
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/other-specialized-programs/total-commercial-fishery-landings-at-major-u-s-ports-summarized-by-year-and-ranked-by-dollar-value/index

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

On the Web:

Fisheries of the United States, 2013 - A Statistical Snapshot of 2013 Fish Landings
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/Assets/commercial/fus/fus13/
materials/FUS2013_FactSheet_FINAL.pdf

Fisheries of the United States, 2013 - Full Report
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/Assets/commercial/fus/fus13/FUS2013.pdf

Source of News: 

NOAA
www.noaa.gov

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