The National Fisheries Institute (NFI)'s 2013 Top 10 list of most popular species in America hasn't changed much from last year's list, which the institute said is a testament to the "familiarity and stability" of the American seafood diet.
Shrimp, canned tuna and salmon took the top three positions, based on the 2012 data, followed in order by tilapia, Alaska Pollock, pangasius, crab, cod, catfish and clams. In 2012 consumers ate 4.6 billion pounds of seafood or 14.6 pounds per capita.
"The top ten most popular fish make up a little more than ninety percent of all the fish Americans eat," said NFI President John Connelly. "It's a fairly stable list but we see a slight increase in salmon consumption and an increase of about 15-percent, combined, in pangasius and tilapia so there is growth in certain areas."
Jennifer McGuire NFI's nutrition communications manager, said the annual list spotlights trends in seafood consumption which are important in the health care field.
"There is an important message in seafood consumption trends for public health professionals; when the amount of fish people eat goes up, aliments, medical costs and preventable deaths will go down," she said.
