Washington, DC - July 23, 2009 - Americans continue to include shrimp and canned tuna as part of a healthy diet more than any other seafood, according to the National Fisheries Institute's "Top Ten" list for 2008.
Recently released numbers show the amount of shrimp eaten in the US remained steady while canned tuna recorded a slight increase. Families continue to discover the health benefits, affordability and versatility of tilapia with consumption rising again as it has since it first surfaced on the list in 2002.
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | ||||
| |
Species |
Lbs |
Species |
Lbs |
Species |
Lbs |
| 1 |
Shrimp |
4.10 |
Shrimp |
4.10 |
Shrimp |
4.40 |
| 2 |
Canned Tuna |
2.80 |
Canned Tuna |
2.70 |
Canned Tuna |
2.90 |
| 3 |
Salmon |
Salmon |
2.364 | Salmon |
2.026 | |
| 4 |
1.34 | 1.730 | 1.639 | |||
| 5 |
Tilapia |
1.19 | Tilapia |
1.142 | Tilapia | 0.996 |
| 6 |
Catfish |
0.92 | Catfish |
0.876 | Catfish | 0.969 |
| 7 |
Crab |
0.61 | Crab |
0.679 | Crab |
0.664 |
| 8 |
Cod |
0.44 | Cod |
0.465 | Cod |
0.505 |
| 9 |
Flatfish | 0.43 | Clams |
0.449 | Clams |
0.440 |
| 10 |
Clams | 0.42 | Flatfish | 0.319 | Scallops | 0.305 |
| Total All Species |
16.0 | 16.3 | 16.5 | |||
Even though most of the "Top Ten" list rankings have not changed, overall seafood consumption dipped in 2008 for the third year in a row.
"Fish and shellfish fall in the rare category of foods Americans should be eating more of, not less," said Jennifer McGuire, a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute. "Thousands of people die every year because they don't get enough omega-3s and that's a statistic that's easily reversible."
According to research supported by the Centers for Disease Control, low omega-3 intake is responsible for 84,000 deaths every year.
The Top Ten List is compiled for the National Fisheries Institute by H.M. Johnson & Associates, publishers of the Annual Report on the United States Seafood Industry. Data for this list came from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have provided American families with the variety of sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information visit: www.AboutSeafood.com.
###
Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8897
ggibbons@NFI.org
