Maine loses spot as top Northeast fish state

PORTLAND – Massachusetts was the No. 1 seafood-producing state in the Northeast last year, ending Maine’s eight-year run in the top spot.

The fish and shellfish harvest in the 10-state region in 2002 was 1.3 billion pounds valued at $1.05 billion, according to National Marine Fisheries Service statistics released Wednesday. That represents an 11.8 percent decline in weight from 2001, and a drop of less than 1 percent in value.

Maine’s seafood harvest was 212 million pounds worth $296.3 million, a 21 percent drop in weight and a 4 percent decline in value from 2001. Massachusetts fishermen landed 243.8 million pounds valued at $297.3 million.

The decline in Maine was due primarily to the free-fall of farm-raised Atlantic salmon in eastern Maine. Fish farmers harvested 15 million pounds of salmon valued at $16.9 million in 2002, down from 29.1 million pounds worth $58.2 million in 2001.

George LaPointe, commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources, said the value of Maine’s seafood harvest last year would have exceeded that of 2001 had there not been a steep decline in salmon.

“We still have an industry that is economically, socially and culturally important – and vibrant,” LaPointe said.

Jon Gibson, spokesman for the fisheries service, said salmon wasn’t the only species to decline in value in Maine. Urchin landings fell from $12.7 million in 2001 to $5.9 million last year, the value of herring fell from $7.2 million to $4.6 million and soft-shell clams fell from $17.8 million to $14.7 million.

Conversely, Maine’s lobster landings rose from $161.1 million in 2001 to $202.1 million last year.

“You’re still catching a large diversity of fish, but a few of those high-valued species, such as salmon and urchins, weren’t there to permit Maine to keep up with Massachusetts,” Gibson said.

The fall of salmon is due to the spread of a fish disease that forced the closure of numerous fish farms, along with surging salmon production in other nations, which has driven down prices.

Lobster by far was the region’s top-valued seafood product, followed by scallops, blue crab, hard-shell clams, surf clams and monkfish.

New Bedford, Mass., was ranked the most valuable fishing port not only in the Northeast, but in the United States, with fish landings of $169 million. Gloucester, Mass., was next with $41.2 million in fish landings.

Portland, which was formerly the second-ranked port in the Northeast, saw its landings fall from 86.4 million pounds in 2001 to 60.7 million pounds last year, a drop of 30 percent. The value of the landings, though, rose from $33.7 million to $36.3 million.