Fisheries & Aquaculture: Consumption, Production Up; Industry Eyes Congress

Sea Technology, Jan 2006 by Martin, Rick

There was good news and even more good news for U.S. commercial fishermen and fish farmers as 2005 drew to a close. In late November, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released its annual report providing U.S. seafood consumption numbers along with commercial fishing and aquaculture production statistics.

United States' per capita seafood consumption, it was reported, hit an all-time record high in 2004 (the latest published statistics by the NMFS), a gain over 2003, and topping the previous best set in 1987. Commercial landings by U.S. fishermen were up slightly in volume in 2004, NMFS said, and up significantly in value.

Domestic aquaculture production for 2003, the most recent year for which data is available from NMFS, was also up appreciably in both volume and value. Then, as an added bonus for the industry, this news came on the heels of a widely publicized study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis that found increased fish consumption can lead to better health by reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. Collectively, this was all very good news for domestic fishermen and fish farmers.

Consumption

To the extent that domestic consumption drives production, the 2004 record of 16.6 pounds of seafood consumed per person in the United States came as welcome news. After spiking in the late 1980s, per capita consumption languished for nearly a decade, hovering at or below 15 pounds per person. In 2002, numbers began to climb, and have now for three years in a row.

"Seafood is a safe and healthy food choice for all Americans and, as this trend shows, the demand keeps rising," said Bill Hogarth, director of NMFS.

Although most experts concede that a strong supply of attractively priced seafood imports has been the catalyst for increased consumption, domestic harvesters and producers also stand to benefit from a growing demand for their products.

As Hogarth was quick to point out, "The administration's National Offshore Aquaculture bill is one way to meet this demand with seafood that is either harvested or grown right here in the United States."

Commercial Landings

According to the NMFS annual report, commercial landings by U.S. fishermen in 2004 were 9.6 billion pounds, valued at $3.7 billion. This was an increase of 136.3 million pounds, up about one percent, and a gain of $304.8 million in value, up nine percent, over 2003. The landings statistics include both edible and industrial products, and it is noteworthy that in 2004 edible fish and shellfish landings alone were up by nearly 250 million pounds over the previous year.

Finfish continued to dominate the landings, representing 87 percent of the total, but accounted for just 47 percent of the overall value.

Aquaculture Production

U.S. fish farmers produced 926 million pounds of product in 2003, up from 867 million pounds in 2002. Domestic farm-raised catfish continued to strongly dominate U.S. aquaculture production at 662 million pounds in 2003. Other significant food species included trout, Atlantic salmon, tilapia, hybrid striped bass, clams, oysters, mussels, crawfish and shrimp.

Total value of U.S. aquaculture production for 2003, as estimated by NMFS, was $961 million.

While that represented a healthy increase over 2002, the value of domestic production is still below 1999 values of $987 million.

Big Business

Seafood, by any yardstick, continues to be big business in the United States. NMFS estimated that American consumers spent $61.9 billion on seafood in 2004, most of that ($42.8 billion) in restaurants.

John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute, said, "Americans are eating more healthy fish meals than ever before, proving that we are all hearing the right message-that eating fish is essential to a healthy, balanced diet."

If Connelly is right, domestic consumption numbers and accompanying demand could grow significantly over the next few years.

"Right now, each American is eating only about five ounces offish each week-less than half of what the health professionals in our government recommend," Connelly said.

In his Seafood Trend Newsletter, industry analyst Ken Talley noted that there was something else significant to the 2004 statistics. "Last year, seafood imports only gained one percent in volume over the previous year, while exports [of U.S. seafood products] shot up 18 percent," Talley reported.

That could be very good news for U.S. fishermen and fish fanners who have struggled to compete with imports priced at levels below basic production costs.

On the Horizon

All eyes in the U.S. commercial fishing industry are focused on pending legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs all fishery management activities within the federal 200-mile limit.

A U.S. Senate bill supported by Sen. Ted Stevens (RAlaska) and President George W. Bush's administration, proposes a market-based fishing quota system that would divide shares of the total allowable catch among fishermen, who would then be permitted to buy and sell the shares among themselves. Most commercial fishermen eye quotas warily, particularly in the Northeast where there are strong concerns about safeguarding the small boat fleet.