The volume of halibut landings taken by commercial fishermen has never recovered from the relatively large numbers of the 1950s and 1960s. Following some good years in the 1980s, landings dropped sharply and have yet to recover.
The shortage of halibut has driven prices per pound to historic highs.
Halibut Landings 1950-2016
Halibut Price per Pound 1950-2016
| YEAR | POUNDS | VALUE | PRICE/LB |
| 1950 | 86,100 | $20,470 | $0.24 |
| 1951 | 114,000 | $26,784 | $0.23 |
| 1952 | 89,000 | $24,913 | $0.28 |
| 1953 | 78,500 | $23,937 | $0.30 |
| 1954 | 105,400 | $29,077 | $0.28 |
| 1955 | 153,800 | $36,862 | $0.24 |
| 1956 | 107,400 | $29,221 | $0.27 |
| 1957 | 124,300 | $28,507 | $0.23 |
| 1958 | 136,300 | $35,034 | $0.26 |
| 1959 | 97,400 | $24,591 | $0.25 |
| 1960 | 89,900 | $24,029 | $0.27 |
| 1961 | 69,100 | $21,221 | $0.31 |
| 1962 | 92,200 | $30,329 | $0.33 |
| 1963 | 92,400 | $31,034 | $0.34 |
| 1964 | 76,590 | $24,840 | $0.32 |
| 1965 | 92,677 | $31,662 | $0.34 |
| 1966 | 101,941 | $37,351 | $0.37 |
| 1967 | 99,735 | $40,007 | $0.40 |
| 1968 | 64,395 | $25,963 | $0.40 |
| 1969 | 52,503 | $21,450 | $0.41 |
| 1970 | 51,660 | $25,004 | $0.48 |
| 1971 | 77,031 | $36,737 | $0.48 |
| 1972 | 74,626 | $51,175 | $0.69 |
| 1973 | 60,045 | $54,084 | $0.90 |
| 1974 | 47,542 | $53,626 | $1.13 |
| 1975 | 45,220 | $47,911 | $1.06 |
| 1976 | 48,109 | $50,006 | $1.04 |
| 1977 | 46,401 | $67,564 | $1.46 |
| 1978 | 74,726 | $106,879 | $1.43 |
| 1979 | 88,574 | $145,954 | $1.65 |
| 1980 | 70,931 | $111,481 | $1.57 |
| 1981 | 62,261 | $97,220 | $1.56 |
| 1982 | 88,145 | $142,583 | $1.62 |
| 1983 | 88,497 | $168,610 | $1.91 |
| 1984 | 123,168 | $236,014 | $1.92 |
| 1985 | 94,410 | $195,554 | $2.07 |
| 1986 | 82,659 | $195,202 | $2.36 |
| 1987 | 55,331 | $158,241 | $2.86 |
| 1988 | 125,374 | $280,167 | $2.23 |
| 1989 | 40,219 | $106,312 | $2.64 |
| 1990 | 20,503 | $49,830 | $2.43 |
| 1991 | 43,438 | $111,013 | $2.56 |
| 1992 | 35,070 | $85,160 | $2.43 |
| 1993 | 30,143 | $97,825 | $3.25 |
| 1994 | 29,664 | $104,042 | $3.51 |
| 1995 | 11,485 | $43,172 | $3.76 |
| 1996 | 18,069 | $65,452 | $3.62 |
| 1997 | 22,632 | $78,806 | $3.48 |
| 1998 | 7,708 | $26,867 | $3.49 |
| 1999 | 11,731 | $49,143 | $4.19 |
| 2000 | 6,217 | $24,723 | $3.98 |
| 2001 | 11,100 | $38,891 | $3.50 |
| 2002 | 11,175 | $45,958 | $4.11 |
| 2003 | 10,480 | $43,216 | $4.12 |
| 2004 | 14,347 | $58,678 | $4.09 |
| 2005 | 24,881 | $70,199 | $2.82 |
| 2006 | 23,318 | $104,486 | $4.48 |
| 2007 | 41,827 | $204,716 | $4.89 |
| 2008 | 46,278 | $236,042 | $5.10 |
| 2009 | 80,715 | $369,342 | $4.58 |
| 2010 | 33,139 | $197,789 | $5.97 |
| 2011 | 36,607 | $239,319 | $6.54 |
| 2012 | 49,786 | $332,137 | $6.67 |
| 2013 | 50,493 | $330,195 | $6.54 |
| 2014 | 65,830 | $438,460 | $6.66 |
| 2015 | 93,404 | $622,592 | $6.67 |
| 2016 | 107,849 | $632,254 | $5.86 |
Source: http://www.maine.gov/dmr/commercial-fishing/landings/documents/halibut.table.pdf (accessed January 27, 2018)