Commercial fishermen brought 699.8 million pounds of fish to the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska, in 2000 making it the port with the highest volume of fish landings in the country. New Bedford, Mass., claimed the title of greatest value port in the country at $146.3 million. The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the figures today.

The port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska netted the top landings slot for the 12th straight year according to officials at NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA fisheries). The port recorded an increase of 20.5 million pounds over 1999 landings. Cameron, La., was ranked as the number two port for the quantity of landings in 2000 with 414.5 million pounds landed.

The value of landings at New Bedford was $146.3 million, an increase of $16.4 million from the 1999 value. Dutch Harbor-Unalaska was second with landings valued at $124.9 million - a decrease of $15.9 million, while the Kodiak, Alaska catch value was third at $94.7 million in 2000.

The large increase in value of New Bedford landings for the second year was principally due to sea scallops with a landings value increase from approximately $70 million in 1999 to $83 million in 2000. New Bedford returns to the top value port, after a nine year absence due in part to the 1994 collapse of the New England groundfish fishery and declining numbers of sea scallops.

Part of the landings value decrease in 2000 at Dutch Harbor-Unalaska was due to a decrease in the opilio (snow) crab catch caused by declining numbers and resulting management restrictions.

The record landings for quantity was 848.2 million pounds in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1960 and the record for value was $224.1 million in Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska in 1994. The top 10 leading U.S. ports in volume and value of fish and shellfish landed in 1999 and 2000 are:

"COMMERCIAL FISHERY LANDINGS AT MAJOR U.S. PORTS, 1999-2000"
Port Quantity
1999 2000
Million pounds

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska 678.3 699.8
Cameron, La. 406.0 414.5
Empire-Venice, La. 435.0 396.2
Reedville, Va. 378.6 366.8
Intercoastal City, La. 369.0 321.7
Kodiak, Alaska 331.6 289.6
Los Angeles, Calif. 194.7 252.5
Pascagoula-Moss Point, Miss. 250.5 199.9
Port Hueneme-Oxnard-Ventura, Calif. 155.9 161.7
Astoria, Ore. 118.2 130.1

"COMMERCIAL FISHERY VALUE AT MAJOR U.S. PORTS, 1999-2000"
Port Value
1999 2000
Million dollars

New Bedford, Mass. 129.9 146.3
Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska 140.8 124.9
Kodiak, Alaska 100.8 94.7
Dulac-Chauvin, La. 49.0 68.1
Empire-Venice, La. 64.0 61.6
Honolulu, Hawaii 52.1 56.0
Hampton Roads Area, Va. 39.1 52.8
Key West, Fla. 51.9 50.6
Port Arthur, Texas 22.4 49.3
Bayou La Batre, Ala. 40.0 48.9

Note: To avoid disclosure of private enterprise certain ports have not been included.

A complete list of commercial fishery landings and value at 50 major U.S. ports for 1999 - 2000 is available on the internet at: http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/publications.html

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA fisheries) is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA fisheries, please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov