U.S. Seafood Consumption Down Slightly 2007
U.S. seafood consumption declined slightly in 2007. The average American ate 16.3 pounds of fish and shellfish, down 1% from the previous year. In total, Americans consumed 4.9 billion pounds of seafood in 2007, down slightly from 4.94 billion pounds in 2006.
Shrimp was the top choice for seafood in the U.S., with per capita consumption at 4.1 pounds, a slight decline of 0.3 pounds from 2006. Of the total of 16.3 pounds consumed per person, Americans ate 12.1 pounds of fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish, down 0.2 pounds from 2006.
Canned seafood, primarily canned tuna, remained at 3.9 pounds per person. Americans consumed five pounds of fillets and steaks per capita, down 0.2 pounds from 2006. These include Alaskan pollock, salmon, flounders, and cods. The remaining 0.3 pounds is cured seafood such as smoked salmon and dried cod. [Excerpted from report]
The United States is ranked the third largest consumer of fish and shellfish, behind China and Japan. The U.S. imports about 84% of its seafood, but a decade ago the country only imported about 63%.
At least half of seafood imports to the U.S. are farmed fish. American’s own aquaculture industry meets only 5-7% of the total U.S. demand for seafood, primarily catfish. U.S. farmed oysters, clams, mussels and salmon supplies 1.5% of U.S. seafood demand.