In certain counties, the importance of the fishing 
industry is more pronounced. Fisheries employment 
as a percentage of total employment ranged from 
3.4 percent in Kenai-Cook Inlet to more than 30 
percent in Kodiak. Several counties in Maryland, 
Texas, Virginia, and Washington also rely heavily 
on the fishing industry for income and employment. 
Domestic and Foreign Market Shares '° 
In,the United States, landings have-net-increased 
at the same rate as fish consumption. U.S. landings 
for edjble food have stabilized at about 1.3 million 
tonnes and in 1977, accounted for 39 percent 
of the total supply of edible fishery products; im- 
ports account for.61 percent. Domestic landings for 
industrial purposes have displayed considerably more 
variation and currently account for about 73 percent 
of the total U.S. supply of industrial fishery products. 
The reduction in the ability of the U.S. fishing 
industry to compete in the fishery market is indicated 
by the relations of imports and domestic landings to 
total supply. The market share of edible seafood 
products supplied by domestic commercial fishery 
landings and imports has undergone significant 
changes in the past two decades. Imports have repre- 
sented a steadily expanding portioh_of supplies_of 
edible seafood -products. This 1 increase aaaieeE ey 
In 1960, « domestic landings contributed 60 Hoieent 
to total supplies. The domestic share of edible prod- 
ucts declined rapidly over the next 13 years and 
reached a low of 34 percent in 1973. This situation 
reversed slightly as the domestic share of edible sea- 
food products reached 39 percent in 1977. The 
growth of imports relative to U.S. commercial land- 
ings is partially indicative of the American con- 
sumer’s preference for high-valued species of food- 
fish. In 1974, the United States had less than 6 per- 
cent of the world’s population and consumed 7 
percent of all seafood produced (foodfish plus indus- 
trial fish). However, the United States consumes a 
dispropotdionate share of relatively expensive species 
of fish. The U.S. market may itself be why some 
of the products are “high priced,” because the 
United States has the high income to pay top prices. 
The same applies to Western European nations as 
well as Japan. 
In 1974, U.S. consumption accounted for 91 per- 
cent of world lobster landings (both American and 
spiny lobsters), 41 percent of world tuna landings, 
and 27 percent of world shrimp landings. Consump- 
tion of other high-valued species in the United States 
included scallops (46 percent), clams (45 percent), 
and salmon (27 percent). 
“ty National - Marine Fisheries Service. Fisheries of the United 
States, 1977. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, pp. 52-53. 
~, 2750 
The U.S. demand for high-value seafood products 
has resulted in increasing the deficit of the U.S. sea- 
food trade balance (fig. 3-1). In 1960, the deficit 
was only $285,000; in 1976, it rose to about $2.25 
billion. 
The supply of industrial fishery products (such 
as fishmeal and solubles) by domestic and foreign 
landings followed a different trend. In 1960, the 
domestic catch provided for almost 62 percent of the 
supply; however, by 1968, imports increased to 85 
percent. A major factor leading to the decline of 
the domestic share was the rapid growth of the 
Peruvian anchovy fishery, which was able to com- 
pete with and replace United States products. There 
has also been overfishing of menhaden, which is also 
a major industrial fish. Beginning in 1969, domestic 
landings began increasing as the U.S. share of the 
industrial fish market expanded to 73 percent in 
1977. This increase was due to at least two factors: 
(1) a sharp curtailment of fishmeal supplies from 
Peru, and (2) rising prices of other livestock feeds, 
such as soybeans. 
3000 
2500 
2250 
2000 
1750 
1500 
1250 
= 
= 
= 
= 
= 
s 
= 
= 
e 
= 
S 
Sy 
° 
1000 
Ler, es av 
r oe 
750 SEY’ ~ Landings 
308 goo x ganna 
4 POLLULLLI 7a oe 
ee savcconannani’® 
250 
sonaeal SS gygons 
0 
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 #75 76 
Figure 3-1.—Value of U.S. landings, imports, and exports 
(millions of doliars). Source: U.S. Department of Com- 
merce, National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries of 
the United States, 1960-76. 
II-3 
