Shrimp Overtakes Canned Tuna as Top U.S. Seafood

SHRIMP OVERTAKES CANNED TUNA AS TOP U.S. SEAFOOD
Overall Seafood Consumption Decreases in 2001

For the first time in recorded history, Americans are eating more shrimp than canned tuna, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today. According to NOAA’s 2001 Fisheries of the United States report, seafood consumption in the U.S. decreased in 2001, by 2.1 percent, with Americans eating 4.2 billion pounds of domestic and imported fish and shellfish.

Officials from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) said that per capita, Americans ate about 14.8 pounds of seafood per person last year. Of these, 10.3 pounds were fresh or frozen fish or shellfish (including 1.1 pound of farm-raised catfish), 4.2 pounds were canned seafood, and 0.3 pound was cured. Compared to 2000 figures, that represents a 10 percent decrease in canned products, a 1 percent increase in fresh/frozen products and a 3 percent increase in fillets and steaks.

Americans also ate a record 3.4 pounds of shrimp per person in 2001, with an overall consumption increase of 9 percent. The 17 percent decrease in canned tuna consumption is attributed to a decline in imports and the closure of two domestic canneries in the United States in 2001.

The latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization show that the U.S. ranks as the third largest consumer of seafood in the world, importing 76 percent of its seafood fare.

Every decade, the Census Bureau of the United States revises its estimates of U.S. population trends to reflect the latest population numbers. This action requires NOAA Fisheries statisticians to update their population-related data, including seafood consumption. Consumption figures for 2000 and 2001 have been completed. The Census Bureau has not finalized the revised monthly population estimates for the 1990s, so revised per capita data for these years cannot be provided at this time. Additional information is contained in the attached fact sheet.

NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries, please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov.

PER CAPITA U.S. CONSUMPTION Figures in Pounds
Year	Civilian Resident Population Million Persons	Fresh and Frozen	Canned	Cured	Total
2000	280.9	10.2	4.7	0.3	15.2
2001	283.6	10.3	4.2	0.3	14.8

U.S. ANNUAL PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF CANNED FISHERY PRODUCTS, 2000—2001
Year	Salmon	Sardines	Tuna	Shellfish	Other	Total
2000	0.3	0.2	3.5	0.3	0.4	4.7
2001	0.4	0.2	2.9	0.3	0.4	4.2

U.S. ANNUAL PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN FISHERY ITEMS, 2001—2002
Year	Fillets and Steaks	Sticks and Portions	Shrimp, All Preparation
2000	3.3	0.9	3.2
2001	3.4	0.8	3.4

Note
The NOAA Fisheries’ calculation of per capita consumption is based on a disappearance model. The total U.S. supply of imports and landings is converted to edible weight and decreases in supply such as exports and inventories are subtracted out. The remaining total is divided by a population value to estimate per capita consumption. Data for the model are derived primarily from secondary sources and are subject to incomplete reporting; changes in source data or invalid model assumptions may each have a significant effect on the resulting calculation.