NOAA 95-56

Contact: Gordon Helm                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         (301) 713-2370                 

DUTCH HARBOR-UNALASKA IS NATION'S
TOP FISHING PORT FOR 1995
      
       Commercial fishermen brought 685 million pounds of fish,
worth $146 million, to the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska,
in 1995 -- making it the port with both the highest volume and
dollar value of fish in the country, the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
     Officials at NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said
the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska netted the top landings slot
for a eighth straight year.  However, landings there dropped 15
million pounds over 1994 figures due to declines in pollock
landings.  Kodiak, Alaska became the second leading U.S. port
with landings of 362 million pounds.  Empire-Venice and Cameron,
La., the number two and three ports in 1994, dropped to third and
fourth in 1995 with landings of 298 and 280 million pounds,
respectively.  Landings at each of the Louisiana ports declined
over 100 million pounds and reflected decreased Gulf catches of
menhaden. 

     Landings at Dutch Harbor-Unalaska were valued at $146
million, a decrease of $78 million from the record 1994 value of
$224 million .  Kodiak, Alaska, was second, with landings valued
at $105 million, while the New Bedford, Mass., catch value was
third in 1995.

     The top 10 leading U.S. ports in volume and value of fish
and shellfish landed in 1993, 1994 and the latest statistics of
1995 are:
                                 VOLUME
                   (figures are in millions of pounds)

     PORT                          1993      1994      1995

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska      793.9     699.6*    684.6
Kodiak, Alaska                     374.2     307.7     362.4
Empire-Venice, La.                 335.4     431.7     298.1
Cameron, La.                       323.1     401.8     280.0
Intercoastal City, La.             202.7     304.8     179.2
Los Angeles, Ca.                    99.8      98.2     168.5
Pascagoula-Moss Point, Miss.       169.7     200.9     128.6
Morgan City-Berwick, La.           147.5     243.6     127.4
Dulac-Chauvin, La.                 142.4     217.0     123.3
Naknek-South Naknek, Alaska         78.7     100.4     120.9

* Record for quantity is 848.2 million pounds landed in Los
Angeles, Calif., in 1960.


VALUE
         (figures are in millions of dollars)

     PORT                          1993      1994      1995

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska      161.2     224.1**   146.2
Kodiak, Alaska                      81.5     107.6     105.4
New Bedford, Mass.                 107.5      82.4      86.9
Naknek-South Naknek, Alaska         43.5      61.5      84.3
Key West, Fla.                      35.2      53.0      66.7
Dulac-Chauvin, La.                  48.0      55.0      53.4
Empire-Venice, La.                  52.3      60.1      51.1
Honolulu, Hawaii                    56.9      44.0      46.7
Petersburg, Alaska                  32.8      43.4      44.8
Point Judith, RI                    35.2      36.5      43.7

** Current record for value.

     A complete list of commercial fishery landings and value at
60 major U.S. ports for 1992-1994 is available upon request.