--- Arrowtooth Flounder fishing resumes today after a nearly 5-week closure in the Gulf of Alaska. The quota for the Gulf of Alaska is 103 thousand metric tonnes for 2017, with just under 6,500 metric tonnes harvested as of May 6th. Although Arrowtooth is the most abundant species in the Gulf, it is only targeted during Halibut fishing, which is why the substantial quota is not fully harvested. 98 percent of the fishery is caught with non-pelagic trawl gear allocations. In the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, the quota is only 14,000 metric tonnes, of which about 500 have landed to date. Arrowtooth Raw Material pricing has risen by over 50 percent year-to-year, with price points hitting nearly $2600 / metric tonne in China. We spoke to a Chinese processing plant who said supply seemed short, likely as a result of the closure in the Gulf of Alaska for deepwater trawl fisheries on April 13th, after Halibut bycatch limits were reached. The fishery reopens today, May 15th, for the third-period allocation, so we expect a better outlook in the next 4-6 weeks. --- Domestically in British Columbia, the total allowable catch this season is only 17,500 metric tonnes. Initially, West coast processors anticipated average fish sizes in the range of 500 - 800grams, but they are now expecting averages of between 700 and 1000 grams. Headed and gutted pricing ranges from $1.05 to $1.15 per pound at the moment, which is generally higher than last year when prices were closer to $0.90 per pound. Oregon has a fairly small arrowtooth fishery, last year's harvests totalled less than 2,000 metric tonnes. Price points are on par with British Columbian production but most harvests are precommitted. Fillet offers are few and far between, but expect to see prices in the range of $1.40-$1.50 in Seattle. --- To wrap things up, our TradexLIVE offer of the week is for IQF 2-3oz Sinbad GOLD Pacific Cod Portions. We have 15,000 lbs available in Chicago for $2.99/lb USD. The market is strong right now but this is a great price point on a naturally preserved product. Click or tap the icon above to view this offer. ----Thank you for joining me for the Tradex Foods "3-Minute Market Insight" This is Kyla Ganton - “BUY SMART” and “EAT MORE SEAFOOD"

If you have a topic you'd like to hear on upcoming 3-Minute Market Insights, tweet us on Twitter @TradexFoods