Contact: Scott Smullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/6/98
Seafood consumption in the United States declined 4.5 percent in 1997, with Americans consuming 3.87 billion pounds of domestic and imported seafood -- or 14.6 pounds per person, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
Officials with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said that Americans ate less canned tuna and canned salmon which served in part to lower overall per capita consumption level to 14.6 pounds per person. This represents a decrease of 0.2 pound from the 1996 level. However, the consumption of shrimp (all preparations) achieved a record 2.7 pounds consumed per person. Imports of peeled shrimp were up 14 percent, and imported shell-on shrimp rose by 8.1 percent over 1996 figures.
Of the 14.6 pounds of seafood consumed per person, 9.9 pounds were fresh or frozen fish or shellfish, 4.4 pounds were canned seafood, and 0.3 pounds of seafood was cured. Compared to 1996 figures, that represents a 0.1 pound decline in both the fresh/frozen and canned products.
Total U.S. supply of edible fishery products was up 1.9 percent in 1997. While U.S. landings of fish and shellfish used for human consumption dropped by 3 percent, imported fish and shellfish increased 5.8 percent in 1997. Imported seafood accounts for 61 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States. U.S. exports declined by 2 percent. Inventories of frozen seafood in cold storage rose 10.8 percent over the 1996 level.
PER CAPITA U.S. CONSUMPTION
Civilian
Year resident
population Fresh and Canned Cured Total
July 1 frozen
Million
persons
- - - - - - - -Pounds, edible meat- - - - - - - -
1993 256.4 10.2 4.5 0.3 15.0
1994 259.2 10.4 4.5 0.3 15.2
1995 261.4 10.0 4.7 0.3 15.0
1996 264.0 10.0 4.5 0.3 14.8
1997 266.4 9.9 4.4 0.3 14.6
"U.S. ANNUAL PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF CANNED FISHERY PRODUCTS, 1993-97"
Year Salmon Sardines Tuna Shellfish Other Total
---------------------------Pounds---------------------------
1993 0.4 0.2 3.5 0.3 0.1 4.5
1994 0.4 0.2 3.3 0.3 0.3 4.5
1995 0.5 0.2 3.4 0.3 0.3 4.7
1996 0.5 0.2 3.2 0.3 0.3 4.5
1997 0.4 0.2 3.1 0.3 0.4 4.4
"U.S. ANNUAL PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN FISHERY ITEMS, 1993-97"
Fillets Sticks Shrimp
Year and and all
steaks (1) portions preparation
------------------------Pounds-----------------------------
1993 2.9 1.0 2.5
1994 3.1 0.9 2.6
1995 2.9 1.2 2.5
1996 3.0 1.0 2.5
1997 3.0 1.0 *2.7
The NMFS 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. These and other
fisheries statistics are available on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/index.html