(SeafoodSource) Fish consumption in leading Western European countries is steadily growing, despite the effects of the global recession and the problems in the local fisheries sectors. The global financial crisis and its effects have not resulted in a sharp decline of fish consumption in Germany and especially France, where the demand for fish and seafood appears higher than it was just a few years ago.
In the case of Germany, this year local consumers are eating fish and seafood as never before. In 2011 the average per capita fish and seafood consumption in the country reached the record figures of 15.7 kilograms and this year continues to rise, along with retail prices. The biggest demand for fish is currently observed in the north of the country and in particular Hamburg, the country’s second largest city.
Matthias Keller, head of the German Fish Information Centre, comments "This confirms a long-term trend. Until the 1980s, the per capita consumption was only 11 kg. The consumption is growing despite the fact that the average selling prices for seafood and fish have increased last year by 3.6 per cent, higher than for other food products. Consumers are willing to pay that. In the future we will have to get used to higher prices for fish and seafood ".
According to German Fish Information Centre, currently Alaska pollock remains the most consumed type of fish in Germany, with a share of 23.3 percent, followed
by herring and salmon, with market shares estimated at 20 percent with 12.8 percent respectively.
French consumption is even stronger. Per capita consumption of fish in France is also growing and last year reached 32.4 kg per capita. Currently France ranks 5th in the EU in terms of per capita fish consumption, with Portugal the largest consumer with 61.6 kg, while Bulgaria is the lowest (4.2 kg).
France has never faced with a problem of low fish consumption, but has experienced production problems in its domestic fisheries. The country heavily depends on the fish and seafood imports from abroad, with local production providing only 38% of domestic needs. In comparison, during the 1990s the local production provided 68% of domestic consumption. One of the reasons for this shift is higher consumption, which has significantly increased since 1990s. New England, which exports significant seafood products to France such as scallops and monkfish, has benefited from the growth of this market.