Macgregors Seafood Notes

Scallop Market Update:

OPEN AREA DAYS:
About 35% of the open area days are left. Substantial quantities are being landed. For the rest of the season, we anticipate continued strength. Expected sizes harvested are as follows: 10% will be U10’s, 50 to 60% will be 10/20’s and the remainder will be 20/30’s.

PROTECTED AREAS:
Elephant Trunk Area
80% of the catch is in. The Elephant Trunk is closing from Sept. 1st to October 31st due to the Atlantic Turtle migration. There have been less U10’s than originally thought leading to a remaining estimated harvest of 10% U10’s and 90% 10/20’s.

Delmarva
80% of the catch is also in, here. The remaining harvest estimates here will also be heavier on 10/20’s (90%) and lighter on U10’s (10%) of the total.

Georges Bank: Access Area II
This particular area in George’s Bank was closed on June 28 for the remainder of the season due to the excessive Yellow Tail Flounder by-catch. The U10’s were 60% of the harvest (significantly lighter than originally projected) while 10/20’s accounted for 40%.


Both demand and supply have been very healthy. Pricing has been stable.

Based on the outlook for the remaining harvest we are more convinced than ever that U10’s will be in short supply this year. Scallop suppliers have been trying to build up inventories for the winter but, due to the high demand, this has been difficult to do. Higher pricing will be the result of this situation.

The value size, from a price and supply standpoint, will be 10/20’s.

30/40’s will continue to be in tight supply and priced accordingly.

The fisherman are returning to the fishing grounds early. They will be on the fishing grounds Friday, August 21st.
This means, that with any luck, we’ll have fish into Edmonton Tuesday evening (25th) and into our hot little hands by Thursday the 27thth. HALLELUJAH !!
This will be fish from the 30 Mile River, Cambridge Bay – all trap caught. These babies can easily run 15-25#. These are the fish revered by the tribal elders.

A couple of notes on how the week of the 10th is shaping up...

Fresh Pickerel is seasonally tight. As of writing this, no fresh avail for the beginning of the week –only re-freshened, which I have passed on. The same can be said about Whitefish.

Carolina Stone Bass / Wreckfish in Tuesday.

Fancy grade, H&G Muckleshoot AK King Salmon expected Tuesday. Lots of Sockeye available Monday as well (Kenai Peninsula AK).

Wild Nunavut Arctic Char will be TOS next week. Should be back on line by the week of 24th. There is some wild product out of Baffin Island avail., but doesn’t compare to the Wild we get from Cambridge Bay, so I’ve passed as price was exorbitant for lesser quality fish.

Wild Nantucket Striped Bass still a great feature option. Lots coming in throughout the week.

Paul