USA Seafood Market Outlook to 2035

The report titled “USA Seafood Market Outlook to 2035 – By Product Type, By Source, By Processing Level, By Distribution Channel, and By Region” provides a comprehensive analysis of the seafood industry in the United States of America. The report covers an overview and genesis of the market, overall market size in terms of value and volume, detailed market segmentation; consumption and supply trends, regulatory and sustainability landscape, buyer- and channel-level demand profiling, key issues and challenges, and the competitive landscape including competition scenario, cross-comparison, opportunities and bottlenecks, and company profiling of major players operating in the USA seafood market.

The report concludes with future market projections based on domestic consumption trends, foodservice recovery, retail and e-commerce penetration, aquaculture expansion, sustainability and traceability mandates, regional demand drivers, cause-and-effect relationships, and case-based illustrations highlighting the major opportunities and cautions shaping the market through 2035.

USA Seafood Market Overview and Size

The USA seafood market is valued at approximately ~USD ~ billion, representing the production, import, processing, distribution, and retail sale of finfish and shellfish products across fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, and value-added formats. The market encompasses wild-caught and farmed seafood supplied through an integrated ecosystem of fishermen, aquaculture operators, processors, cold-chain logistics providers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, and retail channels.

Seafood consumption in the United States is supported by a large and diverse consumer base, strong retail penetration, a mature foodservice industry, and rising awareness around health, protein diversification, and sustainable diets. While domestic wild capture remains structurally constrained by quotas and environmental considerations, the market is increasingly shaped by imports and aquaculture growth to meet demand across species such as salmon, shrimp, tuna, pollock, crab, and tilapia.

The market is anchored by coastal production and processing clusters, extensive cold-chain and distribution infrastructure, and a high degree of product innovation in ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat, and premium seafood offerings. Consumption patterns are influenced by income levels, culinary preferences, ethnic diversity, and the balance between at-home cooking and out-of-home dining, making the USA one of the most complex and high-value seafood markets globally.

Regionally, the West Coast and Alaska dominate domestic wild-catch volumes, particularly for salmon, pollock, and crab, supported by strong fisheries management systems. The South plays a critical role in shrimping, catfish aquaculture, and seafood processing, while also being a major consumption hub due to population growth and foodservice density. The Northeast remains significant for lobster, scallops, and groundfish, with demand supported by premium retail and export-oriented channels. The Midwest, despite limited production, represents a large inland consumption market reliant on imports and efficient cold-chain distribution, with strong penetration of frozen and processed seafood products.

What Factors are Leading to the Growth of the USA Seafood Market:

Rising health awareness and protein diversification support steady demand growth: Consumers in the United States are increasingly prioritizing lean proteins, omega-3 intake, and heart-healthy diets, driving consistent demand for seafood as an alternative to red meat and processed proteins. Public health messaging, dietary guidelines, and greater awareness of lifestyle-related diseases are reinforcing seafood’s positioning as a premium yet everyday protein. This trend supports higher per-capita consumption in retail channels and increased menu penetration across quick-service, casual dining, and premium foodservice formats.

Expansion of value-added, processed, and convenience seafood broadens consumer adoption: The seafood market is shifting from whole and minimally processed products toward fillets, portioned packs, marinated items, frozen ready meals, and heat-and-serve formats. These offerings reduce preparation complexity and address barriers related to cooking skills, odor, and waste, particularly among younger and urban consumers. Advances in freezing technology, packaging, and portion control are improving shelf life and quality consistency, enabling retailers and brands to scale seafood sales beyond traditional fresh counters.

Aquaculture growth and import diversification stabilize supply and pricing: With wild-catch volumes constrained by sustainability regulations and climate variability, aquaculture—both domestic and imported—plays an increasingly central role in meeting US seafood demand. Farmed salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and pangasius provide year-round availability, predictable sizing, and more stable pricing for processors and buyers. Simultaneously, diversified sourcing from multiple geographies reduces supply risk and supports continuous product availability across retail and foodservice channels.

Which Industry Challenges Have Impacted the Growth of the USA Seafood Market:

Supply volatility driven by wild-catch limits, climate variability, and geopolitical exposure impacts availability and pricing stability: The USA seafood market is structurally exposed to supply-side volatility due to strict fishery management quotas, seasonal fishing windows, climate-driven stock migration, and weather-related disruptions. Wild-caught fisheries face biological limits and regulatory constraints that cap domestic production growth, while heavy reliance on imports exposes the market to geopolitical risks, trade policy changes, currency fluctuations, and logistics disruptions. These factors create variability in raw material availability and pricing for processors, foodservice operators, and retailers, often leading to short-term shortages, margin pressure, and inconsistent product offerings across regions.

High dependence on imports increases exposure to logistics costs, trade compliance, and quality variability: A significant share of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, particularly shrimp, salmon, tuna, and whitefish. This dependence amplifies exposure to international freight costs, port congestion, cold-chain reliability, and compliance with US food safety and traceability requirements. Variations in farming practices, processing standards, and documentation quality across source countries can create challenges for buyers in maintaining consistent quality, certification compliance, and brand trust. These risks increase procurement complexity and working capital requirements, particularly for mid-sized processors and distributors.

Labor shortages and cost inflation across fishing, processing, and foodservice constrain operational scalability: The seafood value chain is labor-intensive, spanning harvesting, processing, cold storage, distribution, and preparation. Persistent labor shortages—especially in fishing crews, processing plants, and foodservice kitchens—have increased wage costs and limited throughput capacity in key hubs. Processing facilities face challenges in maintaining yields and meeting peak-season demand, while foodservice operators struggle with skilled labor availability for seafood handling and preparation. These constraints reduce operational efficiency and can slow category expansion despite underlying consumer demand.

What are the Regulations and Initiatives which have Governed the Market:

Seafood safety, inspection, and import monitoring programs ensuring food safety and compliance: The US seafood market operates under a robust regulatory framework governing food safety, hygiene, and hazard control across domestic production and imports. Requirements related to hazard analysis, critical control points, sanitation standards, and preventive controls shape how seafood is harvested, processed, stored, and distributed. Import monitoring and inspection programs add additional layers of compliance for foreign suppliers, influencing sourcing strategies, documentation requirements, and supplier qualification processes for US buyers.

Fisheries management, sustainability mandates, and catch quota systems regulating domestic supply: Domestic wild-capture fisheries are governed by science-based management frameworks that set catch limits, seasonal closures, gear restrictions, and protected species measures. These regulations are designed to ensure long-term stock sustainability and ecosystem health but inherently cap volume growth from domestic fisheries. While these measures support long-term market stability and international credibility, they also constrain short-term supply expansion and increase reliance on aquaculture and imports to meet demand growth.

Country-of-origin labeling, traceability, and transparency initiatives influencing procurement and branding: Labeling and traceability requirements mandate disclosure of species, production method (wild-caught vs farmed), and country of origin at retail and foodservice levels. These initiatives increase transparency for consumers and support enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. However, they also increase compliance complexity and documentation costs for supply chain participants, particularly importers and distributors managing multi-origin portfolios. Over time, these regulations are reshaping procurement practices, favoring suppliers with strong traceability systems and digital compliance capabilities.

USA Seafood Market Segmentation

By Product Type: The finfish segment holds dominance in the USA seafood market. This is because finfish such as salmon, tuna, pollock, cod, and tilapia form the backbone of both retail and foodservice seafood consumption due to their versatility, year-round availability, and wide acceptance across cuisines. Salmon and tuna, in particular, benefit from strong health positioning, premium branding, and extensive use in both at-home cooking and restaurant menus. While shellfish remains a high-value category, finfish continues to dominate overall volume and value driven by consistent imports, aquaculture scalability, and diversified processing formats.

Finfish (Salmon, Tuna, Pollock, Cod, Tilapia, Others)  ~55 %
Shellfish (Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Scallops, Mollusks)  ~45 %

By Source: Imported seafood dominates the USA seafood market. Domestic wild-caught supply is constrained by sustainability-driven quotas, seasonal availability, and regional fishing limits, while domestic aquaculture remains relatively limited in scale. Imports—primarily farmed shrimp, salmon, tilapia, and processed whitefish—provide year-round availability, stable sizing, and cost competitiveness, making them critical to meeting national demand across retail and foodservice channels.

Imported Seafood  ~65 %
Domestic Wild-Caught Seafood  ~25 %
Domestic Aquaculture  ~10 %

Competitive Landscape in USA Seafood Market

The USA seafood market exhibits moderate fragmentation, characterized by a mix of large multinational seafood corporations, vertically integrated processors, specialized importers, and regional distributors. Market competitiveness is driven by sourcing scale, cold-chain capabilities, compliance and traceability strength, brand positioning, and long-term relationships with retailers and foodservice operators. Large players dominate high-volume categories such as salmon, shrimp, and pollock, while regional and niche players remain competitive in premium, fresh, or specialty species.

Some of the Recent Competitor Trends and Key Information About Competitors Include:

Trident Seafoods: Trident remains a dominant player in wild-caught Alaska seafood, particularly pollock, salmon, and crab. Its competitive strength lies in vertical integration across harvesting, processing, and distribution, combined with strong sustainability credentials. The company benefits from long-term supply access and strong positioning with large retail and foodservice buyers.

Thai Union Group (US Operations): Thai Union continues to play a critical role in imported shrimp, tuna, and value-added seafood categories. Its US presence is reinforced by global sourcing scale, processing efficiency, and investment in traceability and ESG initiatives, which are increasingly important for large retail and institutional customers.

Bumble Bee Seafoods: Bumble Bee remains a leading brand in canned and shelf-stable seafood, particularly tuna. The company benefits from strong brand recognition, national retail distribution, and consistent demand for affordable, protein-rich pantry products, especially during economic uncertainty.

High Liner Foods: High Liner is strongly positioned in frozen, value-added seafood products, serving both retail and foodservice segments. Its portfolio of breaded and portion-controlled products aligns with convenience-driven consumption and institutional demand for standardized offerings.

Pacific Seafood Group: Pacific Seafood has expanded its footprint through acquisitions and capacity investments, strengthening its role as a diversified processor and distributor. The company benefits from proximity to West Coast fisheries and strong relationships with foodservice and export markets.

What Lies Ahead for USA Seafood Market?

The USA seafood market is expected to expand steadily by 2035, supported by long-term growth in protein consumption, increasing preference for healthy and functional diets, and sustained demand from both retail and foodservice channels. Growth momentum is further reinforced by population growth, diversification of cuisines, recovery and expansion of the foodservice sector, and continuous improvements in cold-chain, processing, and traceability infrastructure. While domestic wild-catch volumes will remain structurally constrained, the market will increasingly rely on aquaculture expansion, import diversification, and value-added processing to meet demand. As consumers seek consistency, convenience, and transparency, seafood will continue to strengthen its position within the US protein basket.

Shift Toward Value-Added, Ready-to-Cook, and Ready-to-Eat Seafood Formats: The future of the USA seafood market will see a continued transition from whole and minimally processed products toward filleted, portioned, marinated, frozen, and fully cooked formats. Time-constrained households and younger consumers increasingly prefer seafood products that reduce preparation complexity and deliver consistent quality. Processors and brands that invest in innovation across packaging, freezing technology, and flavor profiles will capture higher-margin demand and expand seafood penetration in inland and non-coastal markets.

Greater Role of Aquaculture and Controlled Supply Systems in Meeting Demand: Aquaculture—both domestic and imported—will play an increasingly central role in stabilizing supply and pricing through 2035. Farmed salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and other species offer predictable volumes, standardized sizing, and year-round availability that align well with retail and foodservice requirements. Policy support for responsible domestic aquaculture, combined with technology-driven improvements in feed efficiency and disease management, is expected to gradually increase the contribution of US-based aquaculture, although imports will remain dominant.

Strengthening Focus on Sustainability, Traceability, and ESG Compliance: Sustainability and transparency will become core purchasing criteria rather than differentiators. Retailers, foodservice chains, and institutional buyers will continue to push for stronger traceability systems, verified sourcing, and compliance with environmental and labor standards. Digital traceability platforms, certification programs, and data-driven monitoring will shape supplier selection and long-term contracts. Companies that can demonstrate end-to-end visibility and credible ESG narratives will be better positioned to secure large, repeat customers.

Expansion of Retail Private Labels and Foodservice Partnerships: Private-label seafood offerings are expected to expand further as retailers seek margin control, differentiation, and supply security. At the same time, foodservice operators will deepen partnerships with processors and distributors to ensure consistent supply, portion control, and menu innovation. These trends will favor scaled players with strong sourcing networks, processing capacity, and cold-chain reach, while also creating niche opportunities for regional and specialty suppliers.

USA Seafood Market Segmentation

By Product Type

• Finfish (Salmon, Tuna, Pollock, Cod, Tilapia, Others)

• Shellfish (Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Scallops, Mollusks)

By Source

• Imported Seafood

• Domestic Wild-Caught Seafood

• Domestic Aquaculture

By Processing Level

• Fresh / Chilled

• Frozen

• Processed & Value-Added

• Canned & Shelf-Stable

By Distribution Channel

• Retail (Supermarkets, Club Stores, Mass Retail)

• Foodservice (Restaurants, QSR, Institutional)

• Online / Direct-to-Consumer

By Region

• West Coast & Alaska

• South

• Northeast

• Midwest

Players Mentioned in the Report:

• Trident Seafoods

• Thai Union Group (US operations)

• Bumble Bee Seafoods

• High Liner Foods

• Mowi (US operations)

• Maruha Nichiro (US operations)

• Pacific Seafood Group

• Regional seafood processors, importers, distributors, aquaculture operators, and cold-chain logistics providers

Key Target Audience

• Seafood processors and importers

• Aquaculture companies and fisheries operators

• Cold storage and refrigerated logistics providers

• Retailers, private-label seafood buyers, and wholesalers

• Foodservice chains, QSR operators, and institutional buyers

• Packaging, freezing, and processing equipment suppliers

• Sustainability certification bodies and traceability solution providers

• Private equity and strategic investors focused on food and protein sectors

Time Period

• Historical Period: 2019–2024

• Base Year: 2025

• Forecast Period: 2025–2035