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Seafood Trends
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The most consumed type of seafood in the United States is shrimp.
In 2005, Americans spent $44.5 billion in seafood restaurants and $20.5 billion on seafood for home consumption.
A poll of 968 patrons of North Carolina retail fish stores and chains revealed their top
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The best kind of seafood is safe seafood. Our extension staff works tirelessly on initiatives to make North Carolina’s seafood safer, fresher and more flavorful. We also help local seafood dealers and fishermen learn how to promote their catch and reach new markets in today’s global economy.
Our history in this arena is tied to the North Carolina State University Seafood Laboratory in Morehead City, located at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. The NC State Seafood Lab has long been a touch-point for consumers and industry representatives seeking reliable information on seafood safety and preparation.
Science and Safety
 In an increasingly global economy, the seafood business has grown into a large-scale, international industry, and the safety of our food supply is critical. Sea Grant has funded research on tracing the origins of seafood products and condensed this information into Seafood Traceability: A Practical Guide for the U.S. Industry. Sea Grant also has funded many workshops for seafood dealers, processors and regulatory officials in seafood sanitation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) safety practices.
Consumers must be vigilant as well. Sea Grant recently developed Quality Counts: A Consumer’s Guide to Selecting North Carolina Seafood to help shoppers determine the quality of freshness of seafood at the market. Structured in chart format, the guide lists 11 categories of popular seafood and describes what consumers should look for and what to avoid.
Marketing Efforts
 Americans have an appetite for seafood, and consumption continues to rise. Sea Grant is involved in several efforts to help local fishermen and seafood dealers distinguish their fresh products from the competition. Our extension specialists helped develop and guide Carteret Catch, Brunswick Catch, Outer Banks Catch and Ocracoke Fresh, programs designed to sustain the livelihood and heritage of local fishing industries through public marketing and education.
Each year, Sea Grant’s extension agents hold the North Carolina Seafood Marketing Workshop. The session is designed to help fishermen and seafood dealers explore market research tools to form a more consumer-focused approach to sourcing and selling fresh, local seafood. View presentations and resources from the 2008 workshop.
Consumer Awareness
 Consumers need to know where their seafood is coming from, and Sea Grant is helping make the public more aware of the seasonal availability of fish and shellfish. The popularity of our Seafood Availability Chart inspired the Local Catch series — wallet-sized cards highlighting the availability of seafood species in local markets and restaurants throughout the year. Click on summer, autumn, winter or spring to download the corresponding card. Sea Grant also helps educate people about the importance of seafood quality through our popular Quality Counts consumer guide.
To order the Seafood Availability Chart, the Quality Counts guide, or a set of the Local Catch cards, visit Free Information and Guides.
Photos: William Small, NCSG Stock, Scott Taylor
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