U.S. Atlantic salmon imports were down 11 percent in the first five months of 2010, according to figures the National Marine Fisheries Service released on Tuesday.
U.S. Atlantic salmon imports totaled 166.1 million pounds through May, compared to 187.1 million pounds through May 2009.
The main culprit is Chile, which won’t return to pre-2008 production levels for another two to three years due to the infections salmon anemia virus. Through May, imports of fresh Chilean fillets were down 60 percent, to 20.2 million pounds, while imports of frozen Chilean fillets were down 75 percent, to 4.4 million pounds.
Norway and Canada are picking up the slack. Through May, imports of fresh Norwegian fillets nearly doubled, to 23.6 million pounds, while imports of frozen Norwegian fillets more than doubled, to 8.7 million pounds.
Imports of fresh Canadian fillets also doubled, to 7 million pounds, through May. However, imports of fresh whole Canadian fish slipped from 69.2 million pounds in 2009 to 65.9 million pounds in 2010.
Atlantic salmon imports from the United Kingdom and the Faeroe Islands are also up notably.
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