Wild Striped Bass
Large and jumbo-sized fish are steadily landing in the New York fishery, indicating we should see the pricing come off a bit towards the end of the week.
Smaller sizes are landing in Canada, with affordable pricing for fillets in the range of 12oz to 24oz.
 
Blue Catfish
We certainly don’t like to see high temps this early in the season in this fishery, as the fish tend to hide when temps in creeks and tributaries start to climb. With a cooler weekend we should be able to continue on at the current price and availability for a bit longer, which means nabbing as many of this invasive species as possible.
 
Snakehead
We’re off to the races so far this year in this fishery, which targets a particularly damaging invasive species. We’re seeing great landings, making Snakehead (aka Chesapeake Channa) a beneficial chalkboard special to offer right now.
 
Atlantic Halibut
Pricing remains at its seasonal high heading into this holiday which kicks off the summer season. This is due to the limited amount of fish landing. Pricing relief is not expected through the week this week. These fish from Nova Scotia are large, 50-85lb, and recommended for thicker fillets and portions.
 
Pacific Halibut
Stable pricing and availability expected through the end of the week. Pacific remains the more affordable option; however, it is important to note these fish run smaller than their Atlantic counterpart (10-20lb avg).

Farmed Salmon                  
Canada – Look for pricing to increase next week. We are seeing a decrease in harvest causing continued increased prices.
Ora king- Fish are available with stable pricing.
Chile – Pricing is down with availability starting to increase. We will see pricing stabilize next week.
Euro Salmon – Look for pricing to stabilize next week as we pass Memorial Day weekend.
 
Wild King Salmon
Several seasons are open now, including the Washington coast, a small part of the Oregon coast, and this year we are seeing sporadic openers in the state of California! Our fish this week are from Westport, WA. These are head-on troll caught fish, sustainably rated, and coming down a bit in price at the end of this week. For those of you interested in Alaskan fish, those seasons start in June except for Copper River which produces absolutely gorgeous fish at boutique pricing. The Copper River will see its first opener on May 22nd this year, meaning we could see our fish as early as next week pending availability.

Fresh Flounder            
Raw material market is rising due to limited availability. Boats will be offloading in Atlantic Beach, NC in the next few days that we will take advantage of. Anticipate elevated costs as we move into the summer season. Current inventory consists of trawl caught product harvested in Atlantic Beach, NC.
 
Monkfish             
Prices are rising as fishing has been tough. Anticipate the high prices to remain while the local day boats fish during weather windows. Springtime brings high winds. Current inventory consists of gillnet caught product harvested in Boston, MA.
Golden Tilefish:   
Tile fishing on the East Coast down to Floridia continues to be strong with landings in multiple ports. Availability will continue to be strong. Look at this for a great substitution while wild striped bass is limited!
 
Wild Alaskan Sockeye
Copper River has announced their first opener to take place for 12 hours on May 22nd! This is the run that kicks off the season and is often considered the most beautiful fish of the year. These early fish go for a boutique price point which falls quickly with each opener through the beginning of the season. Copper River runs through June but there will be other areas opening in the following weeks including other parts of Prince William Sound, the Aleutian Islands, and Southeast AK.
 
Sablefish aka Black Cod
Beautiful Alaskan black cod is landing all this week from Petersburg in Southeast AK. If you haven’t tried this mid-range price point this is a great week to jump on board!
 
Lakefish
Usually, we see a drop off in popularity for these species after Lent, however they remain great options typically through the end of May/early June. These are tender, white-meat fillets, especially Walleye, which offers enough size to make a larger portion for a sandwich or center of plate. We are seeing decreased availability for White Bass and White Perch at the moment, but the perch is available locally at times as well, but typically earlier in the spring.
 
CHAR
Availability should improve starting Wednesday. The regular farm in Iceland is running again.
 
Mahi         
Costs are rising this week due to limited landings. The ceiling has not been found yet. Availability will be limited for weekend sales. Now also bringing in 10-15lb mahi also for some cost saving options along with our 15-25lb fish.

Snappers 
American Red Snappers:
-  New arrivals are due in Thursday for weekend sales from Galveston, Texas- ALL SIZES!! Fishing continues to be strong in The Gulf.
Domestic Yellowtail Snappers:
-  New Florida fish in house! All hook and line fish.
-  Season continues to be strong on 1-2’s and 2-4’s making an affordable domestic protein.
 
Tuna
Some Beautiful yellowfin tuna arriving from Costa Rico & the gulf of America this week. Prices on a slow rise this week, quality is looking great! Local Wild bluefin tuna in house but limited, from few miles up the road in NJ.
 
Live Soft Crabs
Local soft crabs becoming extremely limited by the weekend as we hit a gap in runs. prices way up. look to frozen as a cheaper option.

Swordfish
Beautiful double marker swords are landing from Ecuador, Costa Rica & Louisiana. Prices start to ease for the weekend. Great fish for the grill!
 
Caviar
Some beautiful Siberian options are available for the month of May. Siberians offer a delicate brininess in contrast to the rich buttery texture of an Osetra. It’s a perfectly elevated option for classic caviar service and stands up as a garnish for any entree.
Featured this week:
Dynasty Reserve Siberian Caviar
CAVDS1
Product of Asia
Large egg size, especially for a Siberian. Rich, dark color. Subtle buttery flavor, exceptionally balanced brine.
 
Classic Siberian Caviar
CAVSC1
Product of Italy
Medium to large egg size, full flavored and nutty with notes of oyster, nori, and honey.

Live Lobster  
The live trade market remains stagnant prior to Memorial Day. Price structures have continued downward on all sizes across the board; this however has not helped ignite the market. With lower catch volumes and windy weather in the Canadian zones to begin the week, there could be a slight disrupt in the supply chain.
 
Crabmeat
Fresh Crabmeat
Maryland- limited this week as live market pulls most of the crabs for the holiday. prices rising
North Carolina – limited amounts. It is not expected to be a strong supply for a few weeks. Prices are very strong due to high diesel prices & high live market demands.
Venezuela - limited amounts of R/F lump in house but that will come to an end very soon. NOAA’s importing embargo of Venezuela began Jan 1st, prohibiting seafood imports from Venezuela & other countries if they can’t verify that no marine mammals are harmed by their fishing gear. Some countries have been cleared like Indonesia with catch reports & methods, yet Venezuela is still trying to get their approval. We are hopeful but currently have no indication on how long this will be or how long it will take NOAA to review & approve it, so we wait. There are plenty of alternative options available in the cooler to cover your needs.
Pasteurized Crabmeat
Blue Swimming Crab- This category continues to experience rapid price increases due to several factors: tariff impacts, poor landings in Indonesia all during very strong demand & of course the loss the Venezuelan & now Philippian crabmeat supply. As higher-priced containers arrive and inventories’ cost-average upward, pricing pressure is expected to continue. Most importers are facing limited availability, and the combination of weak landings, pressure at the beaches, and high demand is driving an extremely strong market. Expect ongoing supply constraints and rising prices throughout spring & summer.
Red Swimming Crab- High tariffs and poor landings have pushed prices sharply higher, particularly on jumbo lump and jumbo, with lump now following suit. Relief is not expected in the near term, as many buyers have shifted into this category seeking lower-cost alternatives.
Mexico- Mexican pricing has risen quickly as demand spilled over from the Indonesian market. Many have moved to this option. Unfortunately, Mexican conservation has started for May & June, so this option has dwindled.
Colombian- Supply is extremely limited. Landings have been extremely small. Small volumes are available, check in.
 
Molluscs
Scallops
Some domestic relief was seen last week as the overall market fell, but higher quality product is holding this week as a majority of the lower-priced product arriving on the auction are soft.
‍
Mussels
Domestic mussels will have spotty availability the rest of the week.
 
Oysters
We have some excellent choices available for the holiday this week! You’ll see PEI has made a return to the menu, offering some options not seen in the past 6-7 months. We also have a feature from Maine and some choices from Massachusetts, focusing on harvest areas south of the Cape.
Featured this week:
Haystack Point Oysters
Martha’s Vineyard, MA
OYS352
Select beauties in the 3-3.5” range from a popular island off the coast of the Cape. Full salt, with a very savory brine.
 
Beach Plum Oysters
Buzzard’s Bay, MA
OYS002
Petite full salt oysters with a hint of minerality on the finish.
 
Maine Island Oysters
Broad Cove, Casco Bay, ME
OYS081
Heavy shells that Maine is famous for, high brine, 3-4” sizing.
 
Tidal Treasure Oysters
North Shore, PEI, Canada
OYS339
Choice oysters, buttery and rich brine, happy to have these Canadian options back on the menu for their very shaped cups and consistent sizing.
 
Northern Belle Oysters
North Lake, Eastern PEI, Canada
Strong shell, deep cup, and a savory brine, meaty, in a petite size.

‍‍Always on Feature and only at JJ McDonnell:
Skinny Dipper & Huckleberry Oysters
St Jerome’s Creek, MD
OYS200 & OYS060
For the best shell quality, quintessential Chesapeake flavor, and the cleanest oyster in town, choose Skinny Dippers for your printed menus. Always fresh and in stock! For a cocktail option, Huckleberry is a perfectly plump cocktail, and fun fact, they are the same age as a Skinny Dipper! Some oysters just never reach the size of a full, select oyster.
 
Happy Oysters
Northern Neck, VA
OYS250
Sweetgrass and butter with just enough brine and a clean finish. Tidal surges create a perfect environment for healthy, happy oysters!
 
Salt Buoy Oysters
Brockatonorton Bay, MD
OYS245
All the salt you would expect from Maryland’s Atlantic coast, with a crab-like sweetness to finish. Float-raised cocktail shells are perfect for easy shucking.
 
Fortune Oysters
Wine Harbour, Eastern Nova Scotia
OYS218
A pop of salt from the North Atlantic! Smooth, salty, savory, and sweet meats in clean, solid, choice shells.

Domestic Shrimp
Inshore Louisiana is open. Opening prices seem high on shrimp that will get peeled, but we are hoping production will be good and force prices down. We should have a much better idea this time next week.
Brown and pink headless production remains very slow. Expecting some while headless production after the May 15^th closure of Texas. It has been rumored that production has been good for the boats fishing b4 the Texas closure.