Joanne Friedrick

Tilapia was ousted from the No. 4 spot on the Top 10 per-capita seafood consumption list last year, but the fish is still in the Top 5 at nearly 1.3 pounds, just below its close rival and fellow whitefish, pollock. Since 2006, when tilapia cracked the Top 5, the species has stayed in that spot, with the exception of 2010, when it was No. 4 and consumption hit a high of 1.45 pounds per person.

Don Kelley, procurement manager at Western Edge

Consistency seems to be the key word when characterizing the pollock market. Although the numbers fluctuate slightly from year to year, the total allowable catch (TAC) for this popular whitefish has averaged about 1.2 million metric tons for the past 35 years.

The 2012 TAC was 1.22 million metric tons and should be similar going into 2013, adds Pat Shanahan, program director of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP), based in

People love salmon, at home or in a restaurant. Combined, both wild and farmed salmon traditionally take the No. 3 spot among U.S. consumers’ favorite species, behind only shrimp and tuna. 

In 2011, Canada was the largest exporter of farmed salmon to the United States, offering more than 155 million pounds, followed by Chile, at more than 96 million pounds, Norway (about 36 million pounds), the Faroe Islands (nearly 32 million pounds) and the

The 2012 season with its excess inventory and resulting low prices has been a reminder for the North American lobster industry that yes, you can have too much of a good thing.

As much as diners love lobster and relish an abundant supply, those who catch and distribute it are struggling to come to terms with this summer’s supply glut and what it means for their businesses.

The reason for this year’s banner catch goes back to last winter’s

The unique qualities of king crab — its size, flavor and presence on the plate — keep consumers coming back for more, even when supply is tight and prices rise.

In 2011, the total allowable catch for Alaska king crab was reduced by 28 percent over the previous year. Not surprisingly, wholesale prices topped USD 18 a pound.

The lower quota for king crab, says Tyson Fick, communications director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, was

It cracked the Top 10 per-capita seafood consumption list a few years ago, marking its rise in popularity, but pangasius is still working on becoming a marquee fish due to its lack of solid name recognition and continuing fallout from its bad press over the fight with domestic catfish.

Just back from visiting pangasius farms in Vietnam, Chris December, president of QVD Aquaculture in Bellevue, Wash., says one of the biggest current issues is the

Size matters. And when it comes to halibut, which are smaller for their age than they were 20 years ago, it is impacting the exploitable stocks and putting the market into a downturn.

Halibut is unique in that it can adapt to its surroundings to survive as a large species or as a small one, says Peggy Parker, executive director of the Halibut Association of North America based in Bellingham, Wash. “It has the highest elasticity of any species

The face of Alaska wild salmon is changing, now that the state’s leading salmon processors have chosen to switch sustainability certification programs to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) model from a long-standing pact with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

While the switch won’t be finalized until 2013, discussion of the decision will be ongoing. “It has been a topic of conversation,” acknowledges Ray

The oil spill may be cleaned up in the Gulf following the BP disaster at the Deepwater Horizon platform, but those involved in the wild shrimp industry are still struggling to put questions about the safety of the seafood from that region to rest.

Florida was one of several states impacted by the oil spill and was on the receiving end of BP funds for testing and marketing its seafood. Martin May, management review specialist for the Florida

Prized by sport fishermen, sushi houses and restaurateurs alike, yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) hales from warm, equatorial waters. But yellowfin suppliers note that the stocks have been tighter than in the past and prices higher as a result of its favored status.

“I’ve never seen [supply] as tight as it is now,” says Tim Lycke, owner of Incredible Fish in Miami. While supplies typically dry up between Christmas and New Year’s when