Fish consumption

Asahi Shinbum, March 4th 2014

In a research conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was found out that the consumption of fish and seafood per family has continued to drop. In 2012, the average family spends 78,000 yen on fish and seafood. This is a 25.7% drop in the last 10 years. In 2006, the consumption of meat first exceeded the consumption of fish.

On the other hand, in a separate survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries last year, 85.6% of respondents revealed that they like to eat fish and seafood. This figure is about the same as that in 1997.

If people do not dislike fishes, but the per family's consumption is in a decreasing trend, the reason must be in the preparation of fishes and seafood dishes. Seafood is seen to lose freshness fast and cannot be store for longer periods than meat. Also, the preparation of seafood results in unwanted parts that must be disposed of.