Tilapia imports to the US on the rise
The value of imported tilapia into the US during the first 7 months of 2007 was US$ 326.4 million. As another example of the large deficit in seafood production, the 156 domestic tilapia producers only sold $ 31.3 million worth of fish in 2005.
Tilapia (including all species and hybrids) is the second most important group of farmed fish after carp and the most widely grown of any farmed fish. It is farmed in at least 85 countries, with most production coming from Asia (China) and Latin America (Ecuador, Honduras and Costa Rica).
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, tilapia imports to the United States in 2006 totaled 348.9 million pounds (approximately 158 thousand tonnes), and were valued at $US 482.7 million.
