Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging

NAICS Code 311710 (Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging) encompasses the processing and packaging of seafood products for commercial and government distribution. This category includes activities such as cleaning, gutting, filleting, freezing, canning, smoking, salting, drying, and packaging various seafood items. The sector covers products ranging from fresh and frozen fish fillets to canned salmon, tuna, shrimp, and prepared seafood products intended for both direct consumer consumption and institutional food service markets.

Federal contract awards in this NAICS category primarily involve procurement of seafood products for domestic food assistance programs, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service and Food and Nutrition Service being the most frequent awarding agencies. Typical contract values range from approximately $10,000 to over $12 million, with performance periods spanning from a few months to one year. Frequently awarded entities include Pacific Seafood Group, Trident Seafoods Corporation, Channel Fish Processing Co., Obi Seafoods, and various small disadvantaged businesses specializing in seafood processing. Most awards are firm-fixed-price contracts, with a significant portion designated as total small business set-asides. Delivery locations span across the continental United States, with processing facilities primarily located in coastal states like Alaska, Washington, and Massachusetts.

Recent federal contract opportunities focus on soliciting seafood products for domestic food assistance programs, with specific requests for items such as Pacific whiting, rockfish, farm-raised catfish, salmon, and tuna products. The opportunities typically require 100% U.S.-produced seafood, with detailed specifications for product characteristics, packaging, labeling, and quality assurance. Upcoming solicitations cover delivery periods from January to June 2025, with agencies conducting market research and seeking qualified vendors through the USDA Web-Based Supply Chain Management system. Opportunities are primarily issued by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and target various commissary and food assistance program locations across the United States.