Total Pacific Halibut landings from Alaska and the West Coast (from British Columbia to California) just surpassed 7 million pounds, making it 1.3 millions pounds behind the pace of last year. For added perspective, by this time in 2021, over 11 million pounds had already been harvested - nearly 4 million pounds more than the current total. With summer salmon fishing heating up, halibut harvests are expected to slow even further, likely until August when the salmon season begins to wind down.

If lower fishing efforts continue to be a contributing factor to lower landings as it was last year, total Pacific Halibut harvests from Alaska and the West Coast could finish between 18 and 21 million pounds - potentially marking one of the lowest on record. This would leave an estimated 11 to 14 million pounds still to be landed between now and the season’s close in December.

Meanwhile, in Russia, some coastal regions are facing political and economic pressure to contribute manpower to the ongoing war effort, with reports indicating that fishermen are being offered enlistment bonuses of up to 3 million rubles (approximately $38,000 USD). In the north, near Norway, authorities have noted a growing military presence in fishing zones, fueling suspicions that some vessels may be doubling as platforms for intelligence gathering. These developments are contributing to reduced fishing and processing activity—particularly for key species like Pacific Halibut, Pollock, and Crab.



Russia is estimated to harvest around 4 million pounds of Pacific Halibut annually, though a source informed Tradex that the 2025 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been reduced by a few million pounds to approximately 3.8 million. As a result, global Pacific Halibut supply could see one of its lowest years yet - potentially totaling just 22 to 25 million pounds across Alaska, the West Coast, and Russia. For comparison, Alaska and the West Coast alone produced 26 million pounds in 2023, and total harvest reached 30 million pounds in 2022.

Our recommendation continues to be that you secure your fresh and future frozen halibut requirements now. Consumer demand for this premium product should remain steady, even amid economic headwinds and with less supply, typically comes higher prices.



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