The drop shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as Chile recovers from its infectious salmon anemia outbreak. For example, Marine Harvest, the world’s largest farmed salmon producer, watched its Chilean output fall 67.7 percent, to 29,800 metric tons, in the first quarter of 2010.

“It will take a few years before Chile again will play a prominent role in the salmon market,” the Norwegian company said in its first-quarter report.

As a result of Chile’s troubles, total U.S. salmon imports slipped 9 percent, to 47,396 metric tons, in the first quarter of 2010.

Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom made up much of the difference. Imports of fresh whole fish and fillets from Canada edged up slightly, to 20,831 metric tons.

However, imports of fresh and frozen fillets from Norway nearly tripled, to 9,167 metric tons, while imports of fresh whole fish and fillets from the United Kingdom jumped 42 percent, to 4,625 metric tons, in the first quarter of 2010.

Salmon ranks third in terms of U.S. per-capita seafood consumption, totaling 1.84 pounds in 2008 and trailing shrimp at No. 1 and canned tuna at No. 2.

Source: Seafood Source

Updated by Vietfish Community