“We are incredibly proud of the hundreds of commercial fishermen that utilize and depend on the Marina’s facilities and services for their livelihood,” said Westport Marina Business Manager Molly Bold. “Projects planned for 2019 will continue to improve the infrastructure our fishing industry needs to thrive.”
In first place for volume was Dutch Harbor Alaska, which for the 21st year in a row maintained their first-place status with approximately 769 million pounds of seafood landed. The total U.S. harvest for 2017 is estimated at 9.9 billion pounds of fish and shellfish.
“This report exemplifies the vital economic benefits provided by commercial and recreational fisheries to American communities nationwide,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Every year, farmed and wild fisheries across the United States deliver food to our tables while safeguarding thousands of American jobs.”
This total 2017 harvest of 9.9 billion pounds of seafood is an increase of 344 million pounds over 2016. The highest value U.S. commercial species were salmon ($688 million), crab ($610 million), lobster ($594 million), shrimp ($531 million), scallops ($512 million), and Alaska pollock ($413 million).
According to the report “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Americans consumed an average of 16 pounds of seafood per person per year in 2017. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend eating 8-12 ounces of seafood each week for a healthy diet.
The demand for seafood continues to increase, and Americans continue to import shrimp, salmon, and tuna. The value of these imports in 2017 was $21.5 billion, a 10.4 percent increase over 2016. We will report on 2018 as those numbers become available.