In the United States, most seafood consumed is imported, with over more than half these imports coming from aquaculture. Domestic wild capture fisheries are limited in their productive capacity of US fishing grounds. However, U.S. consumers demand for seafood is continuing to increase with consumers also trying a wider range of seafood and more than 70% of seafood consumed outside of the home. With aquaculture products usually being sold directly to restaurants, wholesalers, and for non-food consumption to processors, the US aquaculture industry has to look beyond production efficiencies and integrate marketing opportunities along with other social benefits to truly emerge as a domestic leader in aquaculture. This paper will examine the extent to which the US aquaculture industry has the capacity to expand, along with the alternatives that could provide implicit value to the industry and supporting communities associated with the industry.
Keyword: Aquaculture, seafood consumption, seafood marketing.