Revie 



U.S. LANDINGS 



Commercial landings (edible and industrial) by U.S. 

 fishermen at ports in the 50 states were 9.6 billion pounds 

 or 4.4 million metric tons valued at $3.7 biUion in 2004 — 

 an increase of 136.3 ntillion pounds (up 1 percent) and 

 $304.8 million (up 9 percent) compared with 2003. 

 Finfish accounted for 87 percent of the total landings, but 

 only 47 percent of the value. The 2004 average ex^^essel 

 price paid to fishennen was 38 cents compared to 35 

 cents in 2003. 



Catches of Alaska poUock, Pacific whiung and other 

 Pacific groundtlsh that are processed at-sea aboard U.S. 

 vessels in the northeastern Pacific are credited as "land- 

 ings" to the state nearest to the area of capture. Infomia- 

 tion on landing port or percentage (jf catch transferred 

 to transport ships fordeliven- to foreign ports is unavail- 

 able. These at-sea processed fishen' products, on a round 

 (live) weight basis, exceeded 1.3 million metric tons in 

 2004 and comprised more than 30 percent of the total 

 domestic landings in the 50 states. 



Commercial landings by U.S. fishennen at ports outside 

 the 50 states along with Internal Water Processing (IWT) 

 agreements (see glossary) provided an additional 165.3 

 million pounds (75,000 metric tons) valued at $71.0 

 miUion. This was a decrease of 1 7 percent, or 33.0 miUion 

 pounds (15,000 metric tons) in quantity and $5.2 million 

 (7 percent) in value compared witli 2003. Most of these 

 landings consisted of tuna, and swordfish landed in 

 American Samoa and other foreign ports. 



Edible fish and shellfish landings in the 50 states were 7.8 

 billion pounds (3.5 million metric tons) in 2004 — an 

 increase of 247.0 million pounds (122. ,200 metnc tons) 

 compared with 2003. 



Landings for reduction and other industrial purposes 

 were 1.9 billion pounds (850,600 metric tons) in 2004 — 

 a decrease of 6 percent compared with 2003. 



The 2004 U.S. marine recreational finfish catch (including 

 fish kept and fish released (discarded)) on the Adantic, 

 Gulf, and Pacific coasts was an estimated 440.7 miLhon 

 fish taken on an estimated 81.6 miUion fishing trips. Tlie 

 harvest (fish kept or released dead) was estimated at 

 197.1 milUon fish weighing 254.4 nxiLhon pounds. 



WORLD LANDINGS 



In 2003, the most recent year tor wliich data are available, 

 world commercial fisher)' landings and aquaculture pro- 

 duction were 132.5 miUion metric tons — a decrease of 

 469.0 thousand metric tons (less than one percent) 

 compared with 2002. 



China was the leading nation with 34.4 percent of the 

 total harvest; Peru, second with 4.6 percent; India, third 

 with 4.5 percent; Indonesia, fourth with 4.3 percent; and 

 United States, fifth with 4. 1 percent. 



PRICES 



The 2004 annual exvessel price index for edible fish 

 increased by 8 percent, shellfish increased 3 percent, and 

 industrial fish decreased 17 percent when compared with 

 2003. Exvessel price indices increased for 21 of the 32 

 species groups being tracked, decreased for 10 species 

 groups, and were unchanged for 1 species group. The 

 bav scaUops price index had the largest increase (101 

 percent) while industrial fish (menhaden) price index 

 showed the largest decrease (17 percent). 



PROCESSED PRODUCTS 



The estimated value of the 2004 domestic production of 

 edible and nonedible fishen* products was $6.6 biUion, 

 S908.6.0 milHon less than m 2003. The value of edible 

 products was $6.3 billion — a decrease of $860.5 million 

 compared with 2003. The value of industnal products 

 was $335.6 million m 2004 — a decrease of $49. 1 million 

 compared with 2003. 



FOREIGN TRADE 



The total import value of edible and nonedible fishery 

 products was $22.9 billion in 200-1 — an increase of $1.7 

 billion compared with 2003. Imports of edible fisherv' 

 products (product weight) were 5.0 billion pounds (2.2 

 miUion metric tons) valued at $11.3 billion in 200'1 — an 

 increase of 44.3 million pounds and $235.9 million 

 compared with 2003. Imports of nonedible (i.e., indus- 

 trial) products were $11.6 billion — an increase of $1.4 

 billion compared with 2003. 



