"There's been nothing going on -- no trucks, planes or anything going down through Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania," said McAleney, who owns New Meadows Lobster Co. in Portland. "People aren't interested in seafood right now. They're interested in getting their lives back in order."
The result is likely to be a repeat of the lobster glut -- affecting the entire seafood industry this time -- with demand dropping out of sight in the biggest markets of the Northeast.
McAleney said he lost a big order from Pennsylvania Thursday morning because his customer decided he wouldn't sell much lobster to thousands of people who still don't have electricity.
"Seafood is the last thing you're going to bring home to a house without power," said Chris Fream, senior sales executive with North Atlantic Seafood in Portland.
The industry's "wheels are falling off," said Fream. "New York is not taking fish and all the seaside restaurants up and down the East Coast are not open or not having any demand."
Fream said the major fish markets in and around New York aren't selling much fish, so they aren't buying it.
And restaurants that do have power aren't buying seafood because families who have no electricity and have to eat out are more likely to opt for quick, cheap meals than a leisurely seafood dinner.
Fream said he even has gotten calls from fishing boat captains in Massachusetts who are seeking buyers for their catch. Those fishermen generally sell to markets in Massachusetts, he said.
Fream and others in the industry noted that there was a jump in landings last weekend as fishing fleets headed into port to avoid the storm barreling up the coast.
The Portland Fish Exchange auction handled 65,643 pounds of fish on Saturday, selling all but 500 pounds of what was offered. Prices held up, with large cod going for an average of $4.53 a pound and large dab getting $2.05 a pound.
On Thursday, after the storm, fishermen took just 9,502 pounds to the auction, and sold only 7,519 pounds. Large cod brought an average of just $3.43 a pound, and large dab sold for 60 cents a pound, even though only miniscule amounts of both were offered for sale.
"It sucks," said Jared Auerbach, owner of Red's Best seafood in Boston, which handles fish from Maine fishermen. "There's just no demand, and it's killing people right now."
Auerbach said he's facing a potentially significant loss because he didn't think Sandy would be as bad as it was. The markets, he thought, might be disrupted for a day or two, then return to normal.
"The fish we bought (last weekend), we ended up overpaying for because I didn't anticipate the storm would be as bad as it was," he said. "Now, our customers don't have power and some don't even have phone lines."
As with the lobster glut this summer, the current situation offers a bright side for seafood lovers in Maine.
Prices will fall for consumers, particularly this weekend, said Nick Alfiero, whose family runs Harbor Fish Market on the Portland waterfront.
"Every dealer in Boston has fish in the coolers they're trying to sell," he said.
So when people go out, either to eat in a restaurant or buy something to cook at home, the low prices will get them to go for fish, Alfiero said, which will help ease some of the glut.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached nearly USD 310 million, up 17% year-on-year. Cumulatively for the first two months of the year, shrimp export value totaled USD 690 million, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year. Compared with the 22% growth recorded in January, the pace of increase in February slowed somewhat, reflecting seasonal factors as the Lunar New Year holiday partially disrupted processing and shipment activities. Nevertheless, the nearly 20% growth in the first two months indicates that shrimp orders from Vietnam are maintaining a more positive trend than in the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to the latest statistics for January 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to major market blocs recorded encouraging growth compared with the same period last year, indicating that consumption demand is gradually recovering.
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