The days of Germans eating seafood only during the Lenten season are over. According to new data from the Fish Information Center (FIZ), a charity founded by companies and associations of the German fishing industry, the country’s seafood consumption continue to increase.
In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, seafood consumption totaled about 11 kilograms. By 2010, it increased to 15.7 kilograms.
Alaska pollock was the No. 1 species consumed in 2010 at 23.3 percent, followed by herring at 20 percent, salmon at 12.8 percent, tuna at 10 percent and pangasius at 5.6 percent.
In terms of product forms, frozen fish was consumers’ first choice at 34 percent, followed by canned fish and marinated product at 26 percent. Fresh fish had a market share of 8 percent.
“We are now awaiting the outcome of the discussions in Brussels on the reform proposals on the Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Market Organization,” said Thomas Lauenroth, chairman of FIZ. “The voluntary measures of the German fish industry to promote a sustainable management of fish stock are important steps to ensure the future supply of fish and seafood. But sustainable fisheries policies must also be established through Europe in order to be successful in the long term.”
