Poach

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Market Report Updated September 2014

Although stocks and quotas in the North Atlantic are at all-time highs, the mackerel business is still muddled. After years of setting and fishing their own quota, this March the Faroese finally agreed to fish a joint quota with EU and Norway for the next five years. Iceland and Greenland, on the other hand, are still setting their own quotas for a fishery where stocks are increasingly prevalent in their own waters. Both of these countries still refuse to a joint management regime for the largest pelagic stock in the North Atlantic. Iceland responded to the new agreement by saying that EU, Norway and the Faroese take full responsibility for overfishing.

However, since this year’s quota set by the EU, Norway and the Faeroes will be a record 1.2 million metric tons and the stock biomass is more than 8 million metric tons, overfishing does not seem to be a problem. What is a big problem, though, is the Russian ban on seafood imports from the EU and Norway that was suddenly implemented this August before the fishery off Norway and Scotland had barely begun. That means that one of the biggest mackerel markets in the world is off limits to the two biggest producers. The loss of the Russian market makes it highly likely the entire quota won’t be caught this year. As a result, both Norway and Scotland want their unused 2014 quota rolled into 2015.

As fishing off Norway got underway in late August, the market was more than a little confused. That the Faroese can still export to Russia may take some pressure off other markets. Since mackerel prices plummeted two years ago, there has been some recovery, especially in Japan where freezers are empty. Although export prices are still being negotiated, Norwegian ex-vessel prices are 25% higher than last season. Early quotes from Norwegian producers are about $1,700/metric ton delivered to Asian ports.

With so much mackerel being landed in the eastern North Atlantic, U.S. fishermen are finding it hard to make money off mackerel. This year, U.S. boats will probably only catch about 4,500 metric tons, less than 15% of their quota.  

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size ranges from 1-2 lbs.
• Strong in taste
• Firm in texture

seasonality

• Late Summer, early Fall

sourcing 

Although it’s available year-round, some buyers recommend buying Atlantic mackerel in the fall from the trap fisheries off New England because this fish has high oil content after a summer of feeding. Atlantic mackerel is sold fresh, frozen, smoked or salted whole, in fillets, headed and gutted, and as steaks. This fish's flesh is firm, has a high oil content, and a strong savory taste. Mackerel are an excellent substitution for other fish with high oil content such as salmon, tuna, or bluefish, and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Like tuna, mackerel must be handled properly because lack of ice or refrigeration can lead to a higher risk of scromboid poisoning.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Whole, H&G, fillets (seasonal)
• Frozen: Whole, H&G, fillets (year-round)

substitution options

Atlantic mackerel may be used as a substitute for Atlantic salmon and tuna.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

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Market Report Updated November 2014

This year’s U.S. quota for Atlantic herring of 104,000 metric tons is almost identical to last year’s haul of 103,000 metric tons. By the end of October, U.S. fishermen had caught about 80% of the quota.  There was considerable griping when the inshore herring fishery opened at the end of October. There was a big bluefin bite on Jeffrey’s Ledge, a long, relatively shallow ledge that winds from northern Massachusetts to Portland Maine, where the big fish were inhaling shoals of herring.  When the big herring trawlers were allowed to start fishing their inshore quota, they were met with howls of protest by the large numbers of small tuna boats who were still enjoying their best season in decades. 

U.S. exports of Atlantic herring have been up a bit this year. Through August, U.S. processors exported about 20,000 metric tons of Atlantic herring.  Canada, which has traditionally been the largest U.S. export market (Canadian processors buy it both for smoking and canning), has been overtaken by Turkey which tripled its Atlantic herring imports to 4,400 metric tons, compared to about 3,000 metric tons for Canada. U.S exporters were averaging about $1,000 metric tons FOB East Coast for their fish.

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size: N/A
• Strong in taste
• Medium in texture

seasonality

• May-October

sourcing 

Fresh herring have a short shelf life, around five days from capture, and should be sold immediately after purchasing. Atlantic herring has a high oil content and a soft, fine texture when cooked fresh. It is also sold cured with smoke, salt, or other spices. Herring are highly perishable so most are sold canned and frozen as whole fish, and as skin-on, bone-in fillet. Some fresh Atlantic herring are sold in wholesale markets in large metropolitan areas on the East Coast. Atlantic herring are caught mostly between May and October off the U.S. and Canada but canned and frozen herring are available year-round.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Seasonal
• Frozen: Year-round: Whole, skin-on, bone-in fillet

substitution options

N/A

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

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Market Report Updated June 2014

The sockeye season got off to a questionable start when the Copper River fishery opened in mid May. By the end of the month the cumulative sockeye harvest was approaching 700,000 fish, well short of the forecast harvest of 1.8 million fish. Fishermen were hoping that lower than normal water temperatures meant that fishing would be good the first two weeks in June, before catches normally steeply fall off. If that proves to be the case, Prince William Sound gillnetters could approach the forecast harvest.  In spite of the slow fishing, Copper River fishermen were being advanced  $3.50/lb. for their sockeyes, which was $.50/lb. less than last year. That put wholesale prices for fresh H&G fish at between $7-$7.50/lb. FOB Seattle for fish from the May openings.

It should be an interesting year in Bristol Bay, where the forecast harvest is 17 million fish. That’s up slightly from last year’s harvest of 15.4 million sockeye in the Bay, but well below the 27 to 30 million fish that were harvested each year from 2008 to 2010. Warmer than average water temperatures were indicating an early run in the Bay, where the sockeye runs typically peaks the first week in July.

Competition for sockeyes in the Bay will be more intense than usual as a Sitka-based processor has built a large plant in Naknek at a cost of upwards of $30 million.  With the additional processing capacity – and a relatively small run – that will put a lot of pressure on the newest Bay processor to offer higher prices to lure fishermen to deliver to their plant.  Last year, Bay boats averaged $1.50/lb. for their sockeyes, but given the competition for fish, they may get more this year. But that could prove very painful because this year, when it comes to sockeyes, it’s not just about the Bay.

Canada’s Department of Fisheries & Oceans has recently announced that the forecast run for this year’s Fraser River sockeye run will be somewhere between 7 and 72 million fish. While some processors are opining that that’s just an indicator that DFO has no idea how many sockeyes will show up, others are pretty nervous. That’s because the fish returning this summer to the Fraser are progeny of the 2010 sockeye run, which was the biggest in more than 100 years. If this year’s run comes in at the higher end of the forecast it would be double the size of the huge 2010 run.

If that’s the case, the big question; “Who’s going to process all that fish?” The long decline in the B.C. salmon industry has meant that there are a lot fewer plants left in the business. In 2010, the B.C. industry was overwhelmed and processors had to put fishermen on limits. If this year’s run is at the high end of the forecast, there’s no doubt that processors will be dumping fish as fast as they can into the fresh market to try to keep up with the harvest.

Buyer’s Tip: Look for the possibility of some very good buys on fresh and frozen sockeyes this August, as B.C. fishermen and processors take whatever they can get for their fish. Prices for H&G sockeyes could dip down to the $1.50/lb. range FOB Vancouver.    

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size is approximately 6 lbs.
• Mild in taste
• Medium in firmness

seasonality

• May - September

sourcing 

Sockeye has the reddest flesh of any salmon species, and its rich meaty flesh has a high oil content. Sockeye is graded 2-4, 4-6, 6-9, and 9 up. This salmon is marketed fresh, frozen, salted, canned. Generally the further sockeye are caught from their natal river, the higher the quality. There will be major quality differences because of natural variability more so than how fishermen and processors handle the product. Sockeye caught off Central Alaska’s Copper River and Canada's Fraser River tend to be larger and contain more oil than other sockeye runs. The number of sockeye available seasonally varies, and quality can also vary within the same run.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: H&G May-September
• Frozen: H&G Year round

substitution options

Sockeye salmon may be used as a substitute for farmed Atlantic salmon.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

There are no food safety or contaminant concerns with sockeye salmon.

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Market Report Updated July 2014

One thing is for sure: this year’s pink salmon production will be nothing like last year’s record-setting haul. Between Russia, Canada and Alaska, fishermen landed almost 700,000 metric tons of pinks last summer. Alaska fishermen landed 314,000 metric tons of pinks, almost three times their catch in 2011, the previous big year for pinks (pink harvests are much higher in odd-numbered years).

Depending upon whose numbers you believe, Russian fishermen landed anywhere from 310,000 to 370,000 metric tons of pinks in 2013, most of which were shipped to China for further processing. 

In spite of the mammoth catch last summer, processors in Alaska still paid fishermen an average of $.40/lb., down from the previous year’s $.48/lb. when the catch was just 114,500 metric tons. In spite of the big catch, Alaska processors have been able to move almost all their frozen production. Over the past decade, Chinese and Alaskan processors have developed large markets for twice-frozen pink fillets to complement the stagnant canned market. As a result, ex-vessel prices have more than quadrupled from $.09/lb. in 2004, much to the delight of Alaska seiners many of whom can gross more than a million dollars on their pink catches alone.

The canned market, though, is a different story. Alaska processors estimate they now have about 2 ½ years worth of pink canned inventory in stock and, although product is moving, some processors are worried they may not be able to pass on the cost of holding product as they whittle their inventory down over the next few years. As a result, look for Alaska processors to freeze as much of their production this summer as possible.

In spite of a much smaller Alaska pink harvest this summer, which is forecast to be about 110,000 metric tons, Alaska processors will probably be very cautious when they settle up with fishermen this fall. First, whatever fish they can they will want to be a bit cheaper than the mountain of fish they have in inventory. Second, Russia will be a big wild card. In 2012, which was supposed to be an off year for pinks, Russian fishermen netted about 440,000 metric tons – a record for an off year.  How much pink salmon the Russians harvest this year will be anybody’s guess. However, since Alaska processors will have to competitive with the Russians in the Chinese market, they will likely want to wait and see how the Russian season plays out.

Pricing for H&G frozen pinks last summer was about $1.10/lb. delivered Chinese port. Unless Russia is a bust, look for similar to slightly higher pricing this summer. That will put the ex-importer price of twice-frozen fillets and portions at about  $2.50-$3/lb., depending on spec.

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size ranges from 2-6 lbs.
• Mild in taste
• Soft in firmness

seasonality

• July - August

sourcing 

Pink salmon is the smallest wild Pacific salmon and its flesh is pale pink. This salmon is mild-flavored, softer than most salmon, has a small flake and contains a relatively low amount of oil. Look for pink salmon with firm meat that has minimal scale loss and no vertical bars of watermarks that indicate the fish has neared fresh water. Pink is graded 2-4, 4-6, 6-9, and 9 up. Pink salmon is mostly sold frozen or canned, and is increasingly sold in value-added products like salmon burgers and marinated steaks. A very small quantity is sold fresh, headed and gutted from July through August as is high quality whole pink salmon caught by trollers and frozen at sea. Processors who do both freezing and canning tend to only freeze the highest quality pink salmon so some buyers suggest purchasing from them. Buyers suggest learning about specific salmon species’ runs in order to find the best quality salmon since there are natural variations among them.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Limited H&G
• Frozen: Year-round, H&G

substitution options

Pink salmon may be used as a substitute for farmed Atlantic salmon.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

There are no food safety or contaminant concerns with pink salmon.

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Market Report updated January 2015

If you want an example of stability in the seafood industry look no further than the U.S. farmed rainbow trout business. About as far back as anyone can remember, annual production has been stuck at about 40 million pounds and about 70 percent of that comes from farms along a 20-mile stretch of Idaho’s Snake River known as Magic Valley. Idaho’s fish farmers make decent money, but good luck trying to increase production. Water rights in this part of the country are like gold and land-based farmers have no interest in giving any of their water rights to some fish farmers. 

The farmed trout industry is also highly consolidated, another factor that adds to its stability. One company in Idaho produces about 60 percent of the state’s harvest and there are only a handful of other, much smaller operations. 

Outside of Idaho there are only a few states that farm rainbows in any quantity. Even North Carolina, the second leading trout producing state, produces only about 3 million pounds a year. Pennsylvania and California have a handful of trout farms, but production in those states is still only about a million pounds a year. 

As feed prices have increased, trout farmers are doing their best to pass on their increased costs. The most common product form, fresh skinless, boneless fillets now sell to distributors for about $5.50-$6.50/lb., depending on spec. 

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size ranges from 1-3 lbs.
• Medium in taste
• Delicate texture

seasonality

• Available year-round

sourcing 

Rainbow trout flesh can be white, pink, or orange and has a delicate almost nutty flavor. “Pink” rainbow trout, which are sometimes marketed at a premium price, get their meat color from a synthetic carotenoid pigment that is added to the fish feed. Rainbow trout are available year-round primarily fresh, although it is also available frozen, smoked, and canned. Product forms include whole dressed trout, boned trout, skin-on pinbone-in fillets, & skin-on boneless fillets. According to some buyers, raceway-raised fish tends to have more consistent quality. Trout from ponds that aren’t managed properly may have an off flavor caused by algae.

Buyer Beware: Some rainbow trout farmers add antibiotics to their feed so buyers who are concerned about this are advised to look for regional farmers who don’t use animal-based feeds, and limit or entirely avoid the use of antibiotics

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Whole, skin-on fillets (boneless or with pin bone in), smoked
• Frozen: Whole, skin-on fillets (boneless or pin bone in)

substitution options

Rainbow trout are a good substitute for wild steelhead, salmon, or white-fleshed fish including haddock, snapper, and cod.

Health & Nutrition

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Market Report Updated May 2014

This year’s chum salmon harvest from Alaska is again expected to be about 20 million fish, which should add up to about 76,000 metric tons. Just over half that harvest will come from Southeast Alaska, where several large hatchery programs provide the bulk of the harvest.  The next largest production area, Prince William Sound, which also relies largely on hatchery fish, should produce a harvest of about 4 million fish.

About three quarters of the U.S. chum harvest is exported, with China taking about half of the exports. Most of the chums exported to China are processed into boneless fillets and shipped back out to markets in North America, Japan and Europe. In recent years the U.S. has imported about 24,000 metric tons of frozen wild salmon fillets from China. Although this figure includes both pinks and chums, salmon importers estimate about 60% of these imports are chum salmon products.

In Japan, where chums are ranched, harvest levels continue to decline, due in large part to damage sustained by hatcheries in the 2011 tsunami. Last year’s landings were less than 100,000 metric tons, about half of what Japan’s hatchery programs used to produce.  The outlook this year is for a harvest similar to last year.

Washington state salmon fishermen had their best chum harvest last fall since 2006. The total catch was just under 7,000 metric tons.  The big chum harvest, along with Alaska’s record pink salmon haul, combined to push ex-vessel prices for Washington chums down to $.58/lb., the lowest price in almost 10 years.

Look for higher prices for chums this year. Last year, the pink deluge in Alaska drove chum ex-vessel prices in Alaska down to $.52/lb., their lowest level since 2007.  That pushed the price of frozen H&G chums with good meat color (delivered China) down to an average of about $1.20/lb. and twice-frozen portion prices plummeted from the high $3s to just below $3/lb. Speculation this year is that the H&G price to Chinese processors will run about $1.50-$1.60/lb., which will push twice frozen portions back up into the high $3s.

Buyer’s Tip: They may not be the biggest chum runs, but they are the best eating chums you can buy.  Native fishermen on the Yukon and in Kotzebue Sound, which is above the Arctic Circle, harvest chums that have meat that is bright red and loaded with oil. The best of the best is the fall chum run on the Yukon. Because they have a long swim ahead of them, these fish have a fat content of as much as 20%, higher than many king salmon. Look for these Arctic chums to be available fresh in July and early August. 

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size is approximately 8 lbs.
• Mild in taste
• Medium firmness

seasonality

• June - October

sourcing 

Chum salmon can be the best value on the market when the skin is bright and the meat deep red, according to some buyers. Since most chum salmon spawns near river mouths, they have lower oil content than sockeye, Chinook, or coho. Chum salmon has a mild taste, is low in sodium, and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, vitamin B12, and selenium.  Chum is graded 2-4, 4-6, 6-9, and 9 up and is readily available fresh and frozen, both H&G and fillets, but may also be canned or smoked. Like other kinds of salmon, chum quality differs greatly depending on the run. Buyers recommend learning about specific runs and their characteristics in order to identify the best salmon.

The eggs are sold as ikura in Japan, where they have a high value.

Buyer Beware: Chum are some times sold as coho, a more expensive fish, because they are similar in size. Chum can be identified by a thinner caudal penduncle (the area just in front of the tail).

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: June- October H&G
• Frozen: Year-round H&G

substitution options

Chum salmon may be used as a substitute for farmed Atlantic salmon.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

There are no food safety or contaminant concerns with chum salmon.

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Market Report Updated May 2014

This looks like a banner year for king salmon. The season opened May 1 when California trollers headed out to sea to land a forecast harvest of 175,000 fish. If fishing is as good as it was last year, West Coast fishermen will have a lot to smile about. Last year, trollers and gillnetters in Washington, Oregon and California caught 6,300 metric tons of kings, the most fish they’ve caught since 2004, when landings were just over 7,000 metric tons.

In fact, chinook catches along the West Coast have steadily rebounded since hitting a low of just 2,100 metric tons in 2009. While catches have tripled since then, prices have also increased along with catch volumes. Last year, West Coast fishermen averaged a record $3.71/lb. for their kings. That’s putting a lot more money in their pockets when you consider that back in 2009, the average West Coast  ex-vessel price for kings was just $1.89/lb.

Up north, with the exception of western Alaska where catches remain at painfully low levels, chinook catches will be much higher than last year, when Alaska fishermen landed a total of just 1,640 metric tons of kings, one of the worst seasons in recent memory. The Copper River fishery, which will open in mid May, is looking at a forecast harvest of about 33 thousand fish, which would be double last year’s catch. Things are looking up for trollers off Southeast, too. This year’s troll quota is about 325,000 kings, more than double last year’s quota of 130,000 fish.

With all that fish to be caught look for some relief from the high king prices of the past few years. Although distributors will likely be paying up to $8/lb. for fresh  kings for early fish, look for prices to soften a bit if Copper River produces as expected and the premium market gets flooded. Later in the summer, look for good buys when the king troll season opens July 1. 

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size ranges from 11-18+ lbs.
• Mild in taste
• Medium firmness

seasonality

• April - September

sourcing 

Due to natural variability, there will be major quality differences in wild salmon, no matter how well the fish is handled. Learning about specific runs of salmon, more so than specific species, is often the best way to find consistency in wild salmon that fits specific needs. White Chinook salmon get their lighter flesh color because its food source consists of sardines or anchovies compared to pinkier flesh from salmon that consume mostly krill. There can be considerable price variation with higher oil content fish getting a higher price in the market. Because Chinook have such a high oil content, they are often smoked. Chinook is graded under 7, 7-11, 11-18, and 18 up. Fresh and frozen is mostly available headed and gutted.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Limited, H&G
• Frozen: Usually H&G

substitution options

Chinook salmon may be used as a substitute for farmed Atlantic salmon.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

There are no food safety or contaminant concerns with Chinook salmon.

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Market Report updated June 2014

This year’s yellowfin sole quota in the eastern Bering Sea off Alaska is 183,000 metric tons, down about 8% from last year’s quota of 197,000 metric tons. Last year, however, the “H&G Fleet” (a.k.a. the Amendment 80 boats) caught only 148,000 metric tons of their quota, as some boats targeted other species such as Atka mackerel. This year’s Atka mackerel quota has been bumped up about 25% to 31,000 metric tons, so it’s likely that the full yellowfin sole quota won’t be caught again this year. As of mid June, about half of this year’s yellowfin quota had been landed.

Pricing this year is slightly lower than last year, as the market remains cautious. Alaska boats were getting about $1,325/metric ton for H&G fish, FOB Dutch Harbor. That’s down from about $1,365/metric ton they got last year.

Through April, U.S. exports of yellowfin sole to China, which accounts for about 80% of all yellowfin sole exports, were down 20% to just under 18,000 metric tons. Overall yellowfin sold exports were off 14% as exports to South Korea, the only other significant market for this fish, were up 40% to just under 4,000 metric tons.

Pricing to distributors of twice frozen yellowfin fillets from China have been stable at between $2-$2.50/lb., depending on product spec. Longer term, yellowfin sole prices could rise, as more of the product exported to China is being consumed as whole fish for the booming Chinese domestic market. 

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size: <1 lbs.
• Mild in taste
• Delicate texture

seasonality

• Year-round

sourcing 

Yellowfin sole has a firm, delicate texture with small flakes and when cooked and a mild, sweet flavor. It is available throughout the year, primarily as frozen skinless, boneless fillets.  Most yellowfin sole weighs less than a pound so it’s usually sold as thin two- to four-ounce fillets.  It is almost always frozen H&G at sea and processed in China into fillets before being sold in the U.S. Quality of Pacific flatfish, including yellowfin sole, varies greatly so it’s important to look for unbruised fillets that have uniform color. Purchasing whole yellowfin sole should only be done if the buyer has a way to negotiate with the supplier since there can be a high percentage of soft-flesh fish.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Uncommon
• Frozen: Fillets: twice frozen, single frozen, deep skinned

substitution options

Yellowfin sole may be substituted for rockfish.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

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Market Report updated March 2014

Fishing for the premier sole along the Pacific Northwest has been good this winter. Although petrale stocks are not supposed to be fully rebuilt until 2015, fishermen says they are a lot of big fish on the grounds and it’s not hard for boats to land 15,000 to 20,000 pounds on a good trip. 

Last year, West Coast fishermen landed about 1,800 metric tons of petrale out of a quota of about 2,500 metric tons. The average ex-vessel price was $1.24/lb., down slightly from the year before. Another good shrimp season off Oregon is cited as the main reason the full petrale quota was not caught as most trawlers stayed on shrimp as long they could before the season closed in late October and they switched to groundfish. 

Supplies of petrale will tighten up in April, when the shrimp season opens. If shrimping is good, don’t except significant landings of petrale until early fall. Price levels for fresh fillets should remain in the $5-$6/lb. range again this year. 

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size varies
• Mild in taste
• Firm texture

seasonality

• Winter

sourcing 

Petrale is a round or oval-shaped flounder with a big mouth and both eyes on its right side; the blind side is white and the eyed side is light to dark brown. Flatfish quality varies widely so the best ones will have uniform color and no bruising, according to some buyers. Petrale sole is sold fresh and frozen, whole and in skinless fillets. Petrale sole is an excellent source of low-fat protein, calcium, and other nutrients. The best time to buy petrale is in the winter, when supplies are most abundant. Since larger flatfish sell for a premium, smaller fillets can be a good value, according to some buyers.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Whole, steaks, fillets
• Frozen: Whole, steaks, fillets

substitution options

Dover sole may be substituted for other types of flounders and soles.

Health & Nutrition

food safety:

MARKET REPORT  |   BUYING TIPS  |  HEALTH / NUTRITION

Market Report updated January 2014

Although West Coast fisheries biologists say fishermen off California, Oregon and Washington could catch as much as 25,000 metric tons of Dover on a sustainable basis, annual catches the past few years have hovered just above 5,000 metric tons. Part of the lack of Dover production is due to the catch share, or individual quota, management regime, which was enacted in 2011. That greatly reduced the size of the groundfish fleet and the boats left focus on higher value species like petrale sole or black cod. As the old fishermen’s axiom goes, “We don’t fish for fish, we fish for money.”

Another problem is that the market for Dover is still limited to the western U.S., especially the Northwest. Although with fresh fillets selling for just under $4/lb. Dover remains a good value, producers have yet to spend much effort developing new markets. 

Processors have upped what they pay for Dover from $.40/lb. two years ago to $.44/lb. last year, but that’s not even enough to cover increased operating expenses. So for the foreseeable future, fishermen will turn to Dover when there’s nothing better to do.  

Buying Tips

size-taste-texture  

• Size varies
• Mild in taste
• Firm texture

seasonality

• Winter

sourcing 

Pacific Dover sole is sold fresh and frozen whole, headed and gutted as well as dressed, and in fillets, however it is nearly always filleted due to its slimy skin. Dover sole from the Pacific has a delicate taste and firm-textured flesh, although it is not as mild as European Dover sole. Since flatfish quality can vary immensely, buyers recommend looking for Dover sole that has uniform color and lacks bruises. They also recommend against purchasing these fish whole since soft-fleshed fish may not be detected until after they’ve been filleted. Availability of Dover fresh sole varies throughout the year while frozen or thawed Dover sole primarily from Alaska is available year-round.

fresh & frozen products

• Fresh: Whole, steaks, fillets
• Frozen: Whole, steaks, fillets

substitution options

Dover sole may be substituted for other types of flounders and soles.

Health & Nutrition

food safety: