2026
9
US Fish and Shellfish Market Report 2026
2026-02-26T12:02:42+00:00
REP9E06F79A_B8B2_4D5D_86F7_9AB8B24D5DD6
3695
191492
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Report
en_GB
Fish and shellfish consumption is rebounding, with 87% of people eating fish in 2025 compared to 83% in 2024, but still faces significant barriers to greater frequency of eating. Price…
US
Meat and Fish
simple

US Fish and Shellfish Market Report 2026

"Sales of fish/shellfish have been sluggish. Promoting nutritional benefits, and offering more convenient and premium options, will support sales."

Richard Caines, Senior Analyst, Insights - Food & Drink

Richard Caines, Senior Analyst, Insights - Food & Drink

Fish and shellfish consumption is rebounding, with 87% of people eating fish in 2025 compared to 83% in 2024, but still faces significant barriers to greater frequency of eating. Price is the main obstacle to consuming fish and shellfish. 34% of adults say being too expensive makes them less likely to eat it at home.

Fitting a person’s budget or being good value are big reasons for buying, but 66% of fish/shellfish eaters think premium fish/shellfish options are worth the money. This highlights the need for value and premium options from brands. Discounts or promotional pricing have a big influence on the purchase of new fish/shellfish products.

Evolving health expectations and elevation of animal proteins in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), including the recommendation of three or more servings of seafood per week, should help encourage the eating of more fish and shellfish. Being a healthy choice is already a reason for buying, and combining healthy messaging with convenience will support sales.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Performance of the market, and the impact of inflation and consumer sentiment on sales
  • Key trends in recent launch activity and future product development opportunities
  • Usage of different types of fish/shellfish, and storage formats
  • Reasons for eating different formats of fish/shellfish at home
  • Barriers to eating fish/shellfish at home
  • Attitudes towards fish/shellfish, including nutrition, sourcing, convenience and premiumization

Market Definitions

The following food segments are included in this Report:

  • Fresh, uncooked fish and shellfish, such as salmon steaks and live lobster
  • Refrigerated or chilled shellfish, such as lobster and crabmeat
  • Frozen, uncooked fish and shellfish, such as frozen unprocessed shrimp and cod fillets
  • Frozen prepared seafood, such as fish sticks and heat-and-eat fish fillets
  • Shelf-stable fish and shellfish, such as tuna, crab, and sardines.

Also included in the scope of this Report are all types of seafood, such as octopi and squid, which are not fish or shellfish, but are included in the broader seafood category.

Value figures throughout this Report are at retail selling prices (rsp) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for fish and shellfish
    • Opportunities
    • Room for more on-pack healthy protein call-outs by fish/shellfish brands
    • Premium options offer scope to leverage increased value sales
    • Focus on convenience to boost sales of fish/shellfish
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Consumer sentiment remains subdued as price pressures and job worries persist
    • Graph 1: consumer sentiment index, 2022-26
    • Inflation has come down, but potential for future increases
    • New dietary guidelines favor the consumption of seafood
    • Climate change and over fishing risk supply instability
    • Return to low growth after four years of declining sales
    • Market size and forecast of fish and shellfish
    • Graph 2: total retail sales and forecast of fish and shellfish, 2019-30
    • Fresh still leads, but frozen and shelf-stable have gained share
    • Graph 3: total retail sales and forecast of fish and shellfish, by segment, at current prices, 2019-30
    • Fragmented market, with large and growing private label share
    • Graph 4: MULO sales of fish and shellfish, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2024 and 2025
    • Mixed fortunes for brands across all three segments
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Fish and shellfish consumption
    • Shrimp, tuna and salmon the top fish/shellfish choices
    • Nearly nine in 10 consumers eat fish at home
    • Graph 5: types of fish eaten at home in the past three months, 2025
    • Shrimps by far the most eaten shellfish
    • Graph 6: types of shellfish eaten at home in the past three months, 2025
    • Two thirds of consumers of fish eat fresh fish
    • Graph 7: types of fish and shellfish eaten, by format, 2024 and 2025
    • Fresh fish is eaten most often, driven by those with healthy finances
    • Graph 8: types of fish and shellfish eaten most eaten and also eaten, by format, 2025
    • Promoting the nutritional benefits of fish/shellfish
    • Build on perceptions of fish/shellfish being a healthy choice
    • Graph 9: health-related reasons for choosing fish/shellfish to eat at home, by format, 2025
    • Opportunity to shout more about fish/shellfish being a healthy source of protein
    • Strong interest in the nutritional benefits of fish/shellfish
    • Position fish as offering unique micronutrients
    • Improving consumer understanding of fish/shellfish sourcing
    • Two thirds want to better understand sourcing of fish/shellfish
    • Consumers are skeptical about sustainability claims
    • Strong interest in understanding how fish is sourced
    • Tempt consumers to try more fish varieties
    • Graph 10: triggers to trying a new fish or shellfish product (top 5), 2025
    • Reassure buyers on the purity of fish/shellfish
    • Importance of convenience in format development
    • Convenience important when choosing fish/shellfish
    • Graph 11: convenience-related reasons for choosing fish/shellfish to eat at home, by format, 2025
    • Overcoming the odor barrier of cooking fish
    • Air fryer convenience
    • Balancing value and premiumization in the product offer
    • Being good value a bigger reason for eating shelf-stable fish/shellfish
    • Price is the biggest barrier to eating fish/shellfish
    • Graph 12: being too expensive making people less likely to eat fish/shellfish at home, by financial situation, 2025
    • Demand for value and premium options
    • Premium fish/shellfish are seen as worth the money
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Frozen products lead new launch activity
    • Graph 13: share of fish/shellfish launches, by storage type, 2020-25
    • Launches of fish products dominated by unflavored/plain
    • Graph 14: share of fish/shellfish launches, by flavour component (top 10), 2025
    • More new flavors being added in shelf-stable fish
    • Convenience has become a bigger focus in launch activity
    • More fish launches spotlighting protein per serving
    • Sustainable and environmentally-friendly claims have increased
    • Graph 15: share of fish/shellfish launches, by environmentally-friendly and sustainable claims, 2020-25
    • Convenience and nostalgia among marketing themes for fish brands
    • TV advert for Chicken of the Sea’s collaboration with Frank’s RedHot
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of fish and shellfish at current prices
    • Market size and forecast of fish and shellfish at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Market size and forecast of fish and shellfish by segment
    • Sales and forecast of fresh fish/shellfish at current prices
    • Sales and forecast of fresh fish/shellfish at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Sales and forecast of frozen fish/shellfish at current prices
    • Sales and forecast of frozen fish/shellfish at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Sales and forecast of shelf-stable fish/shellfish at current prices
    • Sales and forecast of shelf-stable fish/shellfish at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Average annual household spending on fish/shellfish
    • Total retail sales of fish/shellfish, by segment, at current prices
    • Sales of fish/shellfish by channel
    • Sales of fish and shellfish, by company
    • Sales of fresh fish and shellfish, by company
    • Sales of fresh fish and shellfish, by company (continued)
    • Sales of frozen fish and shellfish, by company
    • Sales of shelf-stable fish and shellfish, by company
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations

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