Editor’s note: Over the last two weeks of December, SeafoodSource is running a series of articles summing up the year’s news. The series kicked off on Monday with 2011’s five most-read commentaries and continued on Tuesday with 2011’s five most-read Q&As and on Wednesday with 10 of the more memorable quotes of 2011.
From the tragedy in Japan to talk of a reformed Common Fisheries Policy in Europe to the latest seafood consumption figures in the United States, SeafoodSource covered it all this year. Here’s a rundown of the five most-read news stories of 2012:
5) It was a day of unspeakable tragedy. On 11 March, one of the world’s largest-ever earthquakes rocked Japan, unleashing a tsunami that swept across fishing ports in the country’s northeast region and killing more than 15,000 people. SeafoodSource was one of the first seafood media outlets to report on the quake and its devastating effects.
4) Though total U.S. seafood consumption has stalled at about 16 pounds per capita, the same can’t be said for consumption of two increasingly popular farmed finfish species — tilapia and pangasius. For the first time, tilapia overtook Alaska pollock to become America’s fourth most popular seafood item, at 1.45 pounds in 2010, while pangasius, which debut on the top 10 list in 2009, surpassed clams to become America’s ninth most popular seafood item, at 0.405 pounds.
3) This year’s third most-read SeafoodSource story is actually one of the most-popular SeaFood Business features — the annual list of North America’s top seafood suppliers, which appeared in the magazine’s May issue. Trident Seafoods, High Liner Seafoods and Beaver Street Fisheries were among the companies on this year’s list. Who else made the list?
2) The effect on U.S. seafood consumption won’t be immediate. But the U.S. government’s eat-fish-twice-a-week recommendation — part of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans released in January — may mark a turning point for a government that hasn’t exactly been consistent with its seafood-consumption advice. The new recommendation may prompt the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency to change their methylmercury warning for pregnant and breastfeeding women, which would be much-welcomed news for seafood.
1) New York seafood wholesaler M. Slavin & Sons caught SeafoodSource readers’ attention in March when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing the economic downturn. Then, just last week, it emerged from bankruptcy, executing its recapitalization plan and agreeing on a reorganization plan.
