From a global perspective, there’s no doubt that farmed seafood has a key role to play in feeding a growing population and helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Yet here at home, Americans seem to have a love-hate relationship with aquaculture, and lag behind the rest of the world in both production and consumption. It’s striking that per capita seafood consumption in the United States is only 16 pounds per year, compared with a global average of 44 pounds.
Supporting and promoting best practices for aquaculture globally can help ensure that everyone has access to safe, affordable and sustainable seafood. Building a responsible aquaculture industry in the United States can create jobs, support communities, increase efficiencies and reduce reliance on imports.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global production of wild seafood is expected to remain essentially flat through 2030, growing by less than 1% to reach 91 million metric tons annually. Over that same period, aquaculture production is expected to grow by 37% and reach 109 million metric tons annually. In 2016, aquaculture surpassed wild fish for human consumption, and by 2030, almost 2 of every 3 pounds of seafood consumed by people will come from aquaculture.
Americans have very mixed opinions on farmed seafood. According to a 2015 survey conducted by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and the Fishin’ Co., almost half of the survey respondents had a negative perception of farmed seafood over concerns about quality, food safety and environmental impacts. Yet only 5% of respondents said they eat only wild seafood.
A more recent study from consultancy Changing Tastes indicates that the gap might not be so big, but also highlighted some consumer misconceptions regarding aquaculture. The survey showed that consumers underestimate how much farmed fish is already eaten. They simultaneously overestimate the amount of production currently coming from open-ocean farming, which they perceive as higher in quality, healthier, better for the environment and more humane than other forms of aquaculture.
This consumer underestimation of the current role of aquaculture is confirmed by the numbers. According to the National Fisheries Institute’s top 10 list for seafood consumption in the United States, six of the top 10 are mostly or fully produced by aquaculture, including the top two items, shrimp and salmon.
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