Offices
Wholesale: Pier 33
San Francisco, CA
Tel 415.956.1986
Fax 415.956.5851
Retail:
1582 Hopkins
Berkeley, CA 94707
Tel 510.525.5600
Office:
1649 Hopkins
Berkeley, CA 94707
Tel 510.525.0999 Fax 510.525.4109
Pacific
Halibut
rior
to 1960 the Pacific halibut was fished to the verge
of extinction, then the Pacific halibut commission was
created in order to closely regulate the number of fish
taken and the fishing grounds were divided into 10 separate
areas and allowed one day "derby"openings
for each area. This system worked marvelously as an
exact number of fish could be taken without stressing
the number of fish needed to rebuild the stocks. This
intensely managed program was very successful in rebuilding
the halibut fishery back to record levels.
As time went by, more and more fish were allowed to
be taken creating a very intense fishery with tremendous
landings all at once. In fact the fish was so abundant
during these derby openings boats often sank from too
much halibut. It wasn't uncommon for the captain of
overloaded fishing boats to be so afraid of sinking
if the slightest breeze were to come up that they would
call the coast guard, yet still continue to fish until
the closing. In some high volume ports such as Ketchikan
Alaska it might take 5 or 6 days to unload all the fish.
After years of intensive lobbying by fisheries organizations
in 1995 the halibut commission finally switched to a
quota style of management whereby each boat is given
a quota and can fish whenever they like. This has been
a boon for the fresh fish market as supply and demand
now is regulated by market conditions whereas during
the derby years most fish were frozen.
Halibut season opens March 15th, and fresh fish are
available shortly thereafter, somewhat dependant on
weather conditions. Generally Alaskan halibut is of
higher quality and slightly more expensive than the
less well handled Canadian fish. Canadian fisheries
are government subsidized and guaranteed a market so
there is not the economic incentive to prove the quality
of the product in the marketplace. After the initial
flurry of demand for the first fresh fish to hit the
market, wholesale prices generally settle in at about
$3.50 - $.4.00 per pound for headed and gutted fish.
Pacific halibut is one of the most versatile and forgiving
of fish, perfectly adaptable to any method of cooking
it will stay moist and tender even if inadvertently
overcooked. As halibut is usually cleaned on board immediately
after capture it is seldom parasitized and can safely
be used in uncooked preparations.
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rior
to 1960 the Pacific halibut was fished to the verge
of extinction, then the Pacific halibut commission was
created in order to closely regulate the number of fish
taken and the fishing grounds were divided into 10 separate
areas and allowed one day "derby"openings
for each area. This system worked marvelously as an
exact number of fish could be taken without stressing
the number of fish needed to rebuild the stocks. This
intensely managed program was very successful in rebuilding
the halibut fishery back to record levels. 