This raises the question of how much Pacific halibut is actually harvested between Canada and the U.S.

Over the past five years, Canada has harvested an average of 5 million pounds of Pacific halibut annually, compared to 17.2 million pounds in the U.S., accounting for approximately 22% and 78% of the total catch, respectively.

In the U.S., the majority of the Pacific halibut harvest comes from Alaska, averaging 16.4 million pounds over the past five years. The remaining catch, averaging just over 800,000 pounds, is landed in Washington, Oregon, and California.



Fresh halibut dominates the market for most of the season, with a portion of the U.S. catch exported to Canada. Trade data estimates that in 2024, upwards of 4 million pounds of fresh halibut were shipped to Canada.

Just to complete the global picture, it’s estimated that Russia harvest about 4 million pounds of Pacific halibut annually.

At the time of reporting, the U.S. fishery opening may be delayed as U.S. halibut quotas recommended by the International Pacific Halibut Commission have yet to get the final signoff due mostly to US president Donald Trump’s mass overhaul of federal employees.

However, (also at the time of reporting) an industry source to Tradex advises the U.S. fishery could still open by March 20th or at least close to it. The source advised that once the regulations are formally accepted by the Department of State, the National Marine Fisheries Service can get things moving fairly quickly.

The IPHC is closely monitoring the regulatory process and will provide stakeholders with updates as they become available.

On the Canadian side, the Fisheries Minister approved the IPHC regulations and Canada’s commercial Pacific halibut season will open as planned on March 20th.



It’s anyone’s guess where trade dynamics will settle, but tariffs would drive up costs, disrupt supply chains, and create price volatility.

Our recommendation is to pre-secure your fresh and future frozen halibut requirements now. The overall supply will be 5.5 million pounds less than last year, and consumer demand for this premium product should remain constant even during economic changes. If the catch ends up surpassing fresh demand, new season halibut will go to the freezers faster while pricing is sustained.

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