Seafood Statistics

McCormick & Schmick’s recently conducted a survey of the general public. When polling those who regularly eat seafood, we found:

Of the respondents that have children, 66% said they began feeding their children seafood before they turned five.
When asked what defines fresh seafood, 61% said it should have arrived within the last day, 52% said it wasn’t frozen, and 49% said it was fished from local waters.
68% of respondents who eat seafood said they do so because they enjoy the taste. 25% do so for the health benefits such as the consumption of omega-3s.
Shrimp dwarfs the competition with 38% of respondents naming shrimp their favorite fish. Salmon is the leading finfish with 21% of the vote.

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Shrimp also rules at home with 29% of respondents choosing it as the fish they eat most often at home. Canned tuna came in second with 25%, while 17% chose salmon.
37% of respondents polled said they cook seafood at home at least once a week or more

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49% of respondents said they are more likely to eat seafood while dining out, while 14% said they would be more likely to eat it at home. 36% said it makes no difference whether they’re dining out or eating at home.
45% of respondents say that shrimp is the fresh seafood they most often eat at a restaurant. Salmon is a distant second, with a 16% response.
38% of respondents who prefer wild fish say they eat it because it tastes better.
Fresh is best. Freshness ranks as the most important factor when selecting fish, with 39% of respondents ranking it as most important. Price and flavor came in next with 26% and 25% of the vote respectively.