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by Janice M. Plante
GLOUCESTER, MA - Any industry that can pump over $1 billion into the coastal economies of 10 Northeast region states deserves to be proud.
And that's exactly what commercial fishermen and fish farmers did in 2001. Combined, they landed and grew enough seafood to impress even the most casual industry watcher. The total from Maine to Virginia? 1.51 billion pounds valued at $1.05 billion.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released its preliminary 2001 statistics in mid-August, first announcing the top 10 ports in the nation - both in terms of landings and dollars.
New Bedford, for the second year in a row following a nine-year hiatus, earned the title of being the country's highest dollar-value port, generating $150.5 million in dockside revenue.
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New Bedford, MA continued its rein as the top-valued port in the nation with ex-vessel revenues of $150.5 million in 2001. Sea scallops worth $81.9 million led New Bedford's landings. (Steven Kennedy Photo)
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While scallops clearly gave the port its ranking (see story page 11A), strong groundfish landings also contributed significantly to New Bedford's impressive portfolio, showing the rebounding trend of many of these stocks, despite continuing constraints on fishing effort.
After scallops, the highest value species landed in New Bedford were yellowtail flounder ($10.8 million), monkfish ($10.1 million), Atlantic cod ($9.3 million), and winter flounder ($8.8 million).
Highlighting New Bedford's achievement was the fact that the number-two value port in the nation - Dutch Harbor-Unalaska - came in more than $21 million behind New Bedford with landings worth $129.4 million.
This powerful Alaskan fishing port, however, easily nabbed the title for top-volume - for the 13th year in a row - with 834.5 million pounds of landings, a whopping 134.7-million-pound increase over 2000 due to increased groundfish catches from the Bearing Sea/Aleutian Islands area and the Gulf of Alaska.
New Bedford earned top-volume recognition in the national rankings, as well placing ninth with 106.9 million pounds.
The other Northeast port to claim a high-volume slot was Reedville, VA, which handled 488 million pounds of product, making it the number-two volume port in the nation.
And Hampton Roads Area, VA made the top-10 dollar value list, ranking seventh with landings valued at $56.8 million.
Maine top state
For the eighth year in a row, Maine took first place in the state rankings for the Northeast region, coming in with 269 million pounds of product valued at $309.7 million dollars.
The top five revenue-producing species in the state were lobsters, Atlantic salmon, softshell clams, green sea urchins, and seaworms.
By far and away the most important species for Maine was lobsters, which, with $161.1 million in revenues, even exceeded the port of New Bedford's combined-species value.
"Using our 3:1 multiplier factor, lobster is almost a half-billion dollar industry in Maine," said George Lapointe, the state's marine resources commissioner.
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Lobsters rule in the Northeast, generating ex-vessel revenues of $254.8 million in 2001. (Steven Rappaport Photo)
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While total seafood revenues in Maine were down 12.5% from 2000 levels, they still generated enormous dollars for many coastal communities - some in areas were fishing is the mainstay.
"This industry is an important part of our state's economy and an important part of our state's psyche," said Lapointe.
Lapointe didn't discount the contribution made by groundfish fishermen to the state's bottom line either. Groundfish landings are harder to get a quick grip on because NMFS lists each species individually. But Lapointe said once cod, haddock, blackback, gray sole, and other groundfish species are added together, the total is also impressive.
Portland, the hub of groundfish distribution in Maine, handled 86.4 million pounds of product valued at $33.7 million in 2001, making it the number-two value port in the Northeast, but only by a sliver above Point Judith and only two slivers above Cape May, NJ, Newport News, VA, and Gloucester.
Interesting notes
In the port ranking department, New Bedford was in a league of its own dollar-wise, but after that, the next five ranked ports were all within roughly 4 million pounds of each other.
Gloucester, which ranked sixth in the Northeast, saw a big jump in landings that industry members attributed to herring thanks to the community's new small pelagics plant.
But the volume didn't translate into big dollars. Gloucester landings in 2001 totaled 75.3 million pounds worth $29.4 million compared to 40.1 million pounds worth $30 million in 2000.
Massachusetts, fueled by New Bedford, Gloucester, Chatham, and Provincetown, came in as the number-two state in the Northeast with 242.1 million pounds of landings valued at $281.1 million.
Monkfish proved to be an important value species for the region. Ranked fifth, monkfish only trailed behind lobsters, scallops, blue crabs, and Atlantic salmon, generating $43.9 million for 51.2 million pounds of landings.
Atlantic salmon, grown in aquaculture operations in Downeast Maine, provided a significant economic boost to that state. Despite disease problems in 2001 and low prices driven by the worldwide market, Atlantic salmon still came in as the fourth-ranked species in the Northeast, valued at $58.2 million for 29.1 million pounds of harvest.
