Posted On September 20, 2012 By In kpfa With 2525 Views

NOAA Fisheries Service Letter

NOAA Fisheries Service

External Affairs

September 19, 2012

Fisheries of the U.S., 2011 Statistical Report Card for U.S. Fisheries Today, we release Fisheries of the U.S., 2011, our yearbook of key fisheries statistics. Each year, we compile key fisheries statistics from the previous year into an annual snapshot documenting fishing’s importance to the nation. Inside the 2011 report, you’ll find landings totals for both domestic commercial and recreational fishing by species. This information allows us to track important indicators such as annual seafood consumption and the productivity of top fishing ports. Key highlights from the report include:

• U.S. commercial fishermen landed over 10 billion pounds of seafood valued at more than $5 billion. The 2011 totals represent the highest overall commercial landings totals since 1994. Much of this volume increase can be accounted for by increases in three species: Gulf of Mexico menhaden, Alaska pollock, and Pacific hake.

• Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska and New Bedford, Massachusetts remain the top commercial fishing ports.

• Americans consumed nearly 5 billion pounds of seafood in 2011, slightly less than the previous year. Per capita consumption dropped from 15.8 to 15.0 pounds per person. Still, the United States surpassed Japan and is now second only to China in seafood consumption.

• Recreational catch and effort declined slightly in 2011. Approximately 10 million saltwater recreational anglers took 69 million trips and caught 345 million fish, nearly 60 percent of which were released. Please take a few moments to page through the figures and share your feedback with us at Facebook and on Twitter. NOAA Fisheries Posts Statistical Report Card for U.S. Fisheries in 2011

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/09/09_19_12fisheries_of_the_us.html . Summary http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/commercial/index.html