Fish Prices Inch Up

The new regulations limiting the catch on West Coast seafood that went into effect this month seem at first glance like a disaster for consumer pocketbooks. Because of dwindling supplies, the amount of fish that fishermen will be able to take will be slashed by as much as 65%.

With cuts that drastic, it seems that prices are sure to skyrocket. But the reality is that even the most fervent seafood lover will probably notice only a slight bump in prices, says one West Coast fishery official.

“You’ll probably see Pacific red snapper and Dover sole go up 10 to 15 cents a pound at the supermarket--that’s about it,” says David Ptak, vice president of San Diego’s Chesapeake Fish Co. and an advisor to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the industry group that recommended the cuts.

Of the 83 varieties affected by the new regulations, only two will be cut by the full 65%. One, sablefish, is primarily an export product, sent to Japan. The other, ling cod, is also heavily fished off Vancouver Island in Canada, which is not a party to the agreement.

Of the remaining varieties, Dover sole and Pacific red snapper are the most popular commercially. Their catches were reduced by 19% and 16%, respectively--significant, but not enough to create a real shortage.

“Pacific red snapper usually sells for between $2.99 and $3.99 a pound, and Dover sole goes for $3.50 to $4.50,” Ptak says. “If demand remains the same, prices will have to go up. How much? I don’t have a crystal ball, but my guess is it will be in the nickel-dime category rather than a quarter-50-cent increase.”

The regulations apply only to “ground fish”--bottom feeders that are usually taken by net. Other popular fish, such as salmon, are unaffected.

The rules were enacted to try to stem the rapid decline in West Coast fish stocks. The populations of some varieties of fish have fallen by 80% in the last 10 years.

“The Pacific Fisheries Management Council instituted the cutbacks on their own because they realized they were necessary,” Ptak says. “They are taking a tremendous amount of [pressure] from people who are wondering how they’re going to pay their bills now.

“But they realized we have to take stringent measures to make sure we have a consistent resource. We don’t want to repeat what happened on the East Coast a couple of years ago, where people ignored what was going on and then woke up one morning and realized all of the haddock and cod were gone.”

*

Farmers’ Market Pick of the Week: Bob Bornt from the Imperial Valley sells sweet organic carrots at the Santa Monica market on Wednesdays and Beverly Hills and Hollywood markets on Sundays. Source: Carolyn Olney of the Southland Farmers’ Market Assn.