Scallops Keep Cape May No. 2 East Coast Port

Cape May remained the East Coast's second-most valuable fishing port last year, aided by rising scallop prices that offset a declining catch, according to a report.
 
The report from the National Marine Fisheries Service shows the port, which includes docks in Lower Township and Wildwood but none actually in Cape May, took in $103 million last year. That's up from $81 million in 2010.
 
Cape May trails New Bedford, Mass., among East Coast ports and ranks fifth nationwide.
 
The Press of Atlantic City reports that scallops are its primary catch. They rose last year from $7.92 per pound to nearly $10 a pound. That is the price paid to the fishing vessels, but the value of the catch rises at least sixfold before the seafood reaches consumers.
 
The amount of fish brought to the docks in Cape May port declined from 43 million pounds to 40 million pounds.

Keith Laudeman of Cold Spring Fish & Supply told the newspaper the higher price for scallops is leading to new investment in the industry. He recently purchased a new, 94-foot scallop boat.
 
Statewide, the overall fish harvest is up from 161.8 million pounds worth $178 million in 2010 to 175.5 million pounds worth $212 million last year.

Long Beach Island, including the Barnegat Light fishing village, saw the value of its catch rise from $26 million to $34 million. It was rated the 34th largest port in the country, down one spot from last year.
 
"Our landings were down. It was really the prices," said Ernie Panecek, who manages the Viking Village docks in Barnegat Light.
 
The Port of Point Pleasant Beach also experienced a boost from $23 million to $27 million in spite of its catch dropping from 21 million pounds to 15 million pounds. It ranked 41st in the nation, down from 37th last year.
 
Atlantic City, which primarily lands clams, ranked 49th last year. The port caught 23 million pounds in 2011, and New Jersey led the nation in surf clam and quahog catches.