New Jersey Seafood Harvest

Facts & Figures

Data from the National Marine Fisheries Service & NOAA:

• Although major reports from Harvard University and the Institute of Medicine released in October 2006 strongly recommended that, in the interest of good health, Americans double the amount of seafood they consume, average annual per capita consumption in the U.S. remained low at 16.5 pounds in 2006.
  
  
• The top ten species consumed in the United States in 2006 were shrimp (4.40 pounds), canned tuna (2.90 pounds), salmon (2.026 pounds), pollock (1.639 pounds), tilapia (0.996 pounds), catfish (.969 pounds), crab (.664 pounds), cod ( .505 pounds), clams (.440 pounds) and scallops (.305 pounds).
  
  
• According to the 2006 statistics developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the ex-vessel value of the commercial catch in New Jersey was $146 million down $13 million from 2005. ($159 million in 2005, $146 million in 2004, $120.7 million in 2003, $113 million in 2002, and $109.8 million in 2001).
  
  
• It is estimated that for every one dollar of landed value, six dollars are generated in the overall economy bringing the value of the wild harvest to $876 million. That’s almost $1 BILLION.
  
  
• Almost 100 different species of finfish and shellfish were landed.
  
  
• There are six major commercial fishing ports: Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Belford, Cape May, Point Pleasant and Port Norris.
  
  
• Four New Jersey ports are ranked among the top fifty ports in the nation in terms of value of the harvest.
  
  
• In 2006, Cape May was the third largest commercial fishing port on the East Coast in terms of volume bringing in 89 million pounds valued at $46.3 million.
  
  
• In 2006, Barnegat Light landed $25.5 million of fish primarily sea scallops and monkfish.
  
  
• Point Pleasant’s 2006 catch of 22.6 million pounds was valued at $25.8 million.
  
  
• Atlantic City brought in 24.2 million pounds of ocean quahogs and surf clams valued at $36.8 million.
  
  
• New Jersey is one of the leading suppliers of surf clams, Atlantic mackerel and ocean quahogs to both the nation and the world.
  
  
• Ocean quahogs and surf clams are used in processed products such as chowders, sauces, dips and breaded clam strips. Although most of these clams are harvested in New Jersey processing often occurs in other states.
  
  
• One of the Department of Agriculture’s goals is to bring more seafood processing to the Garden State.
  
  
• The top harvests by dollar value in 2006 were sea scallops $59 million, surf clams $25 million, Atlantic mackerel $9 million, hard clams $7.6 million, blue crabs $6 million, ocean quahogs $6 million, fluke $5 million, monkfish $4.5 million, Atlantic herring $3 million and American lobster $2.5 million.
  
  
• The top harvests by volume were surf clams 44 million pounds, Atlantic herring 25.5 million pounds, Atlantic mackerel $25 million pounds, menhaden 24 million pounds, ocean quahogs 11.6 million pounds, sea scallops 8.4 million pounds, blue crabs 6 million pounds, monkfish 4 million pounds, longfin squid 3 million pounds and fluke 2.4 million pounds.
  
  
• U.S. consumers spent an estimated $69.5 billlion for seafood products. Of that total $46.6 billion (67%) was spent in food service establishments and $22.7 for home consumption.
  
  
• Between 82 and 88% of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported.