The Fulton Fish Market covers a section of the Bronx Borough of New York City, in the Hunts Point, and it’s the most iconic market in the region.
Originally, the Fish market used to be a wing of the Fulton Market which was first established in 1822 and sold a large variety of goods. The current location of the Fish market in Hunts Point, Bronx was the result of the move that took place eleven years ago. In 2005 it was moved from its old historic place close to the Brooklyn Bridge in the Financial District, along East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan. The Fish Market stayed at its original place for over 193 years and all through that tenure the Fulton Fish Market was considered the most important wholesale fish market of the East Coast in the United States.
When it was first opened around 1822, the Fulton Fish market quickly got the reputation of a destination with a large amount of fish production carried on the fishing boats from all across the Atlantic Ocean. By the time 1950s rolled in the major part of the Market’s fish were put into large transport trucks instead of simply offloading the catch on the docks, which consequently increased the supply and significantly increased the demand as well.
The wholesalers flocked the Fulton Market and sold the fish and other seafood to the retailers and many restaurants across New York and further. The fish at the Market came from almost any variety of prey available and with the increase of food demands from food outlets, the sheer number of wholesalers also increased many folds. The business at the Market proceeded to fish produce rushing from the ports of New England ending up at the wholesalers at Fulton Market who were selling it to the retailers of the region where it originally was caught at. In many cases, the fish from other towns would end up at Fulton and wholesalers, who with their own price and agents in those towns would supply the locals with fish from their own area.
United States government tracked and reported on the prices of the produce sold and bought at the Fulton Fish Market. At its original location, the Fulton Fish Market was amongst some of the last and perhaps the most significant wholesale food markets in the city. The Market not only proved to be resistant to the Depression and financial upheavals, but it also showed great resilience towards natural disasters such as fires, as it had survived and recovered from the fires of 1835, 1845,1918 and most recently in 1995.
At its current location at the Hunts Point Coop Market, the Fish Market has proven to be equally profitable and vibrant.
The wholesalers working on the market deal with the upwards of millions of pounds of seafood on a daily basis, that generates the annual sales of over billion dollars. While providing a significant boost to city’s economy, at the same time it keeps the locals’ protein demand in check.
With regards to its annual sales and revenue, the Fulton Fish Market comes second only to Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market and is recognized all around the world.