Why People Are Eating Less Fish

"I don't think we've found the solution," Christopher Lischewski, chief executive officer at Bumble Bee Foods LLC, said on the sidelines of the Seafood Expo North America show in Boston held in March. "You have a population that is somewhat fish-averse…and we really don't take the opportunity to educate consumers about all the great attributes that go along with seafood, all the health and nutrition attributes, and we don't teach people how to prepare it."

Fear of seafood and how to cook it is the industry's top challenge, said Phil Lempert, editor of supermarketguru.com, which tracks the retail food business. "No. 2 is how disjointed this industry is. Until we can get the industry together to promote consumption, nothing will happen."
Other problems include the confusion and mixed messages surrounding claims that certain types of seafood are high in mercury, fears stirred up by organizations opposed to growing genetically modified salmon, a lack of awareness of which types of fish are healthy, and a failure of the industry and supermarkets to better promote fish.
Seafood company officials aspire to emulate the chicken industry, where consumption has boomed to nearly 82 pounds in 2012 from 34 pounds in 1965. If the industry can ease consumer fears and develop more convenient products, John Connelly, president of industry trade group National Fisheries Institute, said at the Boston show that there's "nothing to preclude us from having the kind of exponential growth the poultry industry had."
Bill Roenigk, chief economist at the trade group National Chicken Council said seafood has a long way to go before it can become "the new chicken." Its chief obstacle, he said, is production costs, as it's more expensive to catch a fish from the ocean or raise it in a pen than it is to raise a chicken, a cow or a pig. "They have to drive the costs out of it and make it a more affordable product. That is a big challenge for fish," he said.
Bumble Bee is one of the largest seafood companies in North America, with sales of more than $1 billion, but the industry also contains many small-sized companies. Those companies often specialize in one type of fish, which industry observers say makes them reluctant to sign up for any general promotion of fish consumption. On top of that, more than 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported from foreign companies.

Quick-service seafood chain Long John Silver's, which has 1,200 stores in the U.S., is expanding the varieties of fish it serves and the ways they are cooked. The company last year added baked cod and this year is adding breaded and grilled fish items. The key is to find new ways to serve seafood that go beyond the usual appetizers and entrees and incorporate fish into sandwiches, salads and soups to attract younger consumers, said Marie Zhang, the chain's chief food innovation officer. "What we need to do is lower the cost and provide tasty products," Ms. Zhang said.
Warren Solochek, vice president of client development at market research firm NPD, sees potential in serving fish to a younger crowd. He said the "millennial" generation of people in the early 20s to mid-30s is more inclined to eat out, more likely to be adventurous in meal choices and more willing to try new restaurants and recipes based on friends' social media recommendations. He sees particular promise in consumption of sushi, one of the fastest-growing segments among prepared food servings.
"This millennial generation really loves food, loves to experiment and wants more exciting foods," Mr. Solochek said. "Seafood has to make it hip again to eat fish."
Some seafood companies have also banded together to promote the health benefits of fish consumption through a nonprofit organization, the Seafood Nutrition Partnership. The partnership is focusing its message on the health benefits that come from eating seafood regularly. It is looking to raise $15 million for a three-year effort, and is about halfway to its goal, with the next step attracting funding from foundations and others outside the seafood sector.