ABSTRACT
Tilapia has become one of the more popular seafood entrees in the U.S. As total seafood demand increases, and wild catch has reached maximum sustainable yield, aquaculture products have filled the demand. As high quality tilapia products began to appear, its recognition as a quality seafood product has increased in the U.S. In the 1980’s most of the demand was for live fish which were grown in the U.S. In the late 1980’s, whole frozen fish imported from Taiwan began to appear in U.S. markets. During the 1990’s imports of fresh and frozen fillets of tilapia have rapidly increased in volume.
Taiwan continues to be the single largest exporter to the U.S., supplying over 50% of all tilapia products. Mainland China, Thailand and Indonesia are significant exporters to the U.S. as well. Many tilapia producers have begun processing in their home countries, exporting fillets. So far, most fillets from Asia have been supplied frozen, while products from Costa Rica and Jamaica have been sold fresh.
Several of the largest tilapia producers and exporters to the U.S. have jointly funded the Tilapia Marketing Institute (TMI). The TMI has begun a broad ranging program to increase U.S. demand for tilapia products. The Institute is pursuing a generic campaign to increase demand for all product forms of tilapia.