The majority of the harvest is still directed to the fresh market, and processors signal that meaningful frozen volumes are unlikely before September - an estimate that remains subject to change.

Reports indicate that even processors in China are unable to secure North Pacific halibut for twice-frozen production. While Russia is estimated to harvest about 4 million pounds of Pacific halibut annually, sanctions and tariffs will restrict its access to North American markets. However, as of this report, Russian halibut remains permitted for import into the EU.

Pacific halibut harvests in the North Pacific now run 2 million pounds behind last year’s pace. Approximately 50% of the fishing limit has been landed, however this year’s TCEY is among the lowest in recent years at 29.72 million pounds - down 5.5 million from 2024. Last year’s harvest was among the lowest on record, with only 84% of the quota landed. If this pattern repeats, total net weight landings could be around 17 million pounds—approximately 4 million pounds less than last year.



Harvesters are reporting smaller hauls, which increases vessel cost per trip, resulting in higher prices. Where we typically see a softening of prices after the start of the fishery in March, didn’t exactly happen this year as we saw docks prices hover around $5.00/lb throughout March to UCN reporting they are upwards of $9.00/lb now.

As Alaska’s summer salmon season winds down, halibut landings may see a modest uptick as fishermen shift effort back to the halibut. However, per-trip catches remain below average, and conditions on the fishing grounds are unlikely to improve for the rest of the season.

Our recommendation for buyers looking for frozen halibut is to turn to Atlantic halibut as an alternative. Most of the supply typically comes out of Canada’s East Coast with global supply estimated to be north of 6,000 metric tonnes or equivalent to 13 million pounds.



Tradex Foods is well-positioned to be a reliable source for premium quality Atlantic Halibut so for more information about Atlantic Halibut products, please contact your Tradex Foods Business Representative.

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