Salmon more popular than tuna

Odd Grydeland odd@salmonxpert.com

For the first time, salmon has surpassed tuna to become the second most consumed fish in the US, according to an article posted in Seafood.com by John Sackton. Reading between the lines, it turns out that the consumption of salmon by US consumers consists of more than three times as much farmed salmon as wild, accounting for some 2.05 lbs vs 0.65 lbs per capita in 2013. And, as Mr Sackton describes, the increased US consumption of wild salmon in 2013 was largely due to a glut of wild salmon from Alaska, which saw consumption rise from a mere 0.06 lbs per capita the year before of wild salmon;

The record salmon landings in Alaska in 2013, combined with the huge production of pink salmon, have pushed salmon past tuna as the second most consumed seafood in the United States, after shrimp. Imports of farmed salmon in all forms increased from 590 million to 620 million lbs, which is only 5%, meaning that it was Alaska salmon that drove the increased consumption. Incidentally, this year, salmon imports year to date are up 8% meaning that this strong consumer usage of salmon is continuing.