 Halibut continues to defy market expectations By Laine Welch September 10, 2007
"It's crazy," agreed a major buyer. "Why should I serve halibut when I can get king crab for less?" quipped restaurateurs in trade journals. Last year, fishermen at most
ports were thrilled to get well over $3 a pound for their catch
for the duration of the eight month fishery. This year, the price
has seldom dipped below $4 at the docks it's now pushing
$5 -- and an eager market remains ready to buy. At Dutch Harbor halibut prices
were 'holding steady since August' at $4.10, $4.25 and $4.55
a pound. Kodiak prices were in the range of $4.20 for the smaller
sizes, $4.40 for mediums and $4.60/lb for the big fish. (That's
up 30-cents a pound across the board since late May.) "Halibut continues to defy market expectations as high prices remain the trademark of the fish," said Ken Talley of Seafood Trend Newsletter. "My read on the situation is that we will continue to see prices migrate upward because there is so much demand for this fish," said Cade Smith of Anchorage-based FishEx, one of the nation's busiest Alaska seafood e-commerce sites. "Nobody except fishermen likes to hear this news, but that is how I see it. Processors in particular are being squeezed by the rising prices, and have watched their profitability on this item sharply decline," he added. Both buyers and sellers give a nod to the fishermen for their savvy in supplying the market. "It's not anything they've
coordinated but the Alaska fishermen over the years have really
learned how to pace their landings. They rarely crack 3 million
pounds per week," said a major Southeast processor. The high market price for halibut also has boosted the costs of IFQs (Individual Fishing Quotas) to unheard of levels in the prime fishing grounds. In Southeast Alaska, for example, shares range from $18 to $24 per pound. In the Central Gulf, they're even higher -- $20 to $26 per pound. Alaska's 2007 halibut catch limit is 52 million pounds, with 10 million pounds remaining in the fishery which ends in mid-November. About 2,000 Alaska fishermen
using hook and line gear harvest halibut in waters ranging from
Southeast all the way to Savoonga. Fishery managers will announce
the catch numbers for the 2008 halibut season the week of January
15th in Portland, OR. The fishery will reopen in early March.
They don't make big headlines, but Alaska's 'dive' fisheries pump a nice chunk of change into coastal community coffers. Starting October 1, hundreds of divers using scuba gear or hookahs will soon head down to the deep to hand pick sea urchins, giant geoduck clams (called 'gooey ducks') and sea cucumbers. Sea cukes, an oblong gelatinous
creature distantly related to star fish and sea urchins, have
been harvested in Alaska since 1983. Fisheries began in Southeast
Alaska, and to a smaller degree around Kodiak and Chignik.
Sea cucumbers are valued both for their muscles and their skins, which must be boiled over several days, then dried. The cukes go primarily to Asia where they are popular in Asian soups and salads. They are considered very healthful; the Chinese regard sea cucumbers as an aphrodisiac. Sea cukes have fascinating
defense mechanisms. When they are threatened, they can discharge
sticky threads to ensnare their enemies. They also use another
protective method called auto evisceration meaning they
literally can poop out their guts. But far from it being a bizarre
form of suicide, a new digestive tract quickly grows to replace
the old one. A Pennsylvania medical researcher has found a way to burn salt water and it's being touted as the most remarkable water science discovery in 100 years. Researcher John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator he developed to treat cancer. He found that as long as the salt water was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn. According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Penn State chemists have replicated the process. They explained that the radio frequencies weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing hydrogen. Once the hydrogen is ignited, it will burn as long as it is exposed to the frequencies. "Salt water is the most abundant element on earth and the potential for using it as fuel is huge," the researchers said. The scientists aim to discover
whether the energy output from the burning hydrogen - which reached
a heat of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit - would be enough
to power a car or other heavy machinery. Oregon State University tidal energy pioneers have designed bobbing buoys that contain metal coils surrounding a magnetic core. The buoys are tethered to the ocean floor, and as and the coil jostles around the magnets, electricity is zapped two miles to the Oregon coast. Giant metal snakes are doing the same in Scotland where a company called Camcal has riveted together three 450 foot, wave-powered hollow tubes that slither across the ocean surface and produce electricity via generators in their joints. Also, Technology Review reports that the first U.S. test trial on a tidal power system has been installed in the East River near Roosevelt Island, New York. The system, which uses six 35-kilowatt turbines, is meant to determine the best configuration for the equipment, and help develop easily mass-produced versions of the turbines. A system of 100 turbines is anticipated at this location. In-stream turbine farms have also been initially approved for 25 sites on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and 31 more are under consideration. "In-line tidal power is intriguing because it is much more regular and predictable than wind, which can be intermittent and is much more dependent on local weather. Water also has a much higher energy density than air does, which makes tidal systems appealing because a water turbine can be smaller than an air turbine," the Review said. Learn more at www.ecogeek.org
Contact Laine at msfish[AT]alaska.com A publication fee is required. E-mail your news, photos & letters to editor@sitnews.us
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