The port of Dutch Harbor will hang onto its title as the nation’s busiest fishing port for another year.
According to the latest rankings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about 753 million pounds of seafood were landed here in 2013. That’s more than any other port in America. And it marks the 17th consecutive year Unalaska has gotten that distinction.
It’s mostly due to the large volume of pollock brought in from the Bering Sea, along with crab and other groundfish. Those deliveries were worth slightly less last year. But at $197 million, they were still the second most profitable in the nation behind New Bedford, Mass. Their sea scallop harvest helped bring in $379 million.
Overall, Alaska’s fishing ports saw the biggest value from their catch. Kodiak came in third, with landings worth $153 million. Cordova, Naknek, and Sitka were in the top ten, with Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Seward trailing close behind.
Those ports were also some of the busiest in the country, thanks to a record-breaking salmon season. Alaska’s seafood landings spiked 26 percent — getting close to 5.8 billion pounds of fish statewide.
