Americans Consume More Seafood in 2015 Than in Previous Year

VOA/AP

PORTLAND, MAINE — The government says the average American ate nearly a pound more seafood in 2015 than he or she did the previous year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the statistic Wednesday along with its annual Fisheries of the United States report. It says per capita consumption of seafood grew to 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) in 2015. It was 6.6 kilograms (14.6 pounds) in 2014.

The growth brings per capita consumption of seafood to its highest point since 2010. It’s the biggest jump of its kind in at least 25 years.

NOAA says the jump corresponds with a catch increase. Fishermen brought 9.7 billion pounds of fish and shellfish ashore in 2015. That’s an increase of a little more than 2 percent from 2014.

New Bedford, Massachusetts, had the highest-valued catch from one port at $322 million.