U.S. Fisheries By The Numbers

Status of U.S. Fish Stocks

As a result of the U.S. science-based management process, the status of our nation’s federally managed marine fish stocks continues to improve. In 2017, the number of stocks on the overfished list reached a new all-time low, and three stocks were rebuilt.
By the end of 2017, the number of stocks on the overfishing list remained at 30, while the number of stocks on the overfished list dropped to 35, the lowest number ever.
Since 2000, 44 U.S. federally managed fish stocks have been declared rebuilt.
Read more in the annual Status of U.S. Fisheries report.

In 2016, U.S. commercial fishermen landed 9.6 billion pounds of seafood valued at $5.3 billion.

2016 U.S. Commercial Fisheries and Seafood Industry Highlights

Of the 2016 U.S. commercial catch, the majority was used for food for humans—75.3 percent for fresh/frozen food, 1.9 percent canned, and 0.6 percent cured.

2016 U.S. Commercial Fisheries and the Seafood Industry - How our Catch is Used

The United States produced $1.4 billion worth of aquaculture seafood in 2015, and the top U.S. marine aquaculture species were oysters ($173 million), clams ($112 million), and Atlantic salmon ($88 million).

2015 Aquaculture Production Highlights

The United States is the world’s second largest consumer of seafood in the world, eating 4.8 billion pounds in 2016. That works out to about 14.9 pounds per person.
Read more in the annual Fisheries of the United States—2016.

In 2015, U.S. fisheries supported 1.6 million jobs and contributed $208 billion in sales.

Fisheries Economics of the U.S. 2015 sales impacts

In 2015, the seafood industry supported nearly 1.2 million jobs and generated $144 billion.

Fisheries Economics of the U.S. 2015 commercial impacts