18 July 2007
United States Each American ate 16.5 pounds of seafood last year, up from 16.2 pounds in 2005. That reflects an 11 percent increase in per capita consumption from six years ago, according to the National Fisheries Institute. The seafood consumption record of 16.6 pounds per person was set back in 1987 and matched in 2004.
Market analyst Ken Talley said the only reason per capita consumption didn’t set a new record in 2006 stemmed from a huge drop in the popularity of canned seafood.
Canned tuna consumption dropped below three pounds per person, while canned salmon fell to just two-tenths of a pound, a 50 percent drop in one year.
The list of America’s Top 10 seafood favorites remained pretty much the same. Shrimp held on to the No. 1 spot at 4.4 pounds per person.
Canned tuna was second, followed by salmon at just more than 2 pounds per person. Then came pollock and tilapia, which ousted catfish from the No. 5 spot. Crab, cod, clams and scallops rounded out the Top 10 favorites. The 16.5 pounds of seafood pales next to the 62.8 pounds of beef eaten by each American last year. Chicken was a close second at 61.7 pounds per person.
