Article: [Contribution] "Salmon farming industry is a new growth engine for fisheries"

Published 2025년 12월 23일

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[Korea Fishermen's Newspaper] The per capita annual consumption of seafood in our country was at the level of 36~37kg until the 1990s, but it has been steadily increasing since the 2000s and currently stands at 60~70kg. During the 20 years in which seafood consumption has roughly doubled, there is one item that has shown noticeable rapid growth: salmon. Salmon, which was imported in less than 2,000 tons in 1997, has seen its import volume increase by about 20 times, with 46,000 tons imported as of last year. The global salmon market size amounts to 60 trillion won, and since the 2000s, with the expansion of the food service industry and the home meal replacement (HMR) market, the demand for salmon has surged.

Original content

In South Korea, the annual per capita consumption of seafood was at the level of 36 to 37 kg until the 1990s, but has steadily increased since the 2000s and now reaches 60 to 70 kg. Over the past two decades, while the seafood consumption has approximately doubled, there is a particular item that has shown noticeable rapid growth: salmon. Salmon imports were less than 2,000 tons in 1997, but as of last year, imports reached 46,000 tons, marking an increase of about 20 times. The global salmon market size amounts to 60 trillion won, and since the 2000s, the continuous growth in consumption has been driven by the expansion of the foodservice industry and home meal replacement (HMR) market, as well as the premium image of omega-3 rich health foods. Now, salmon has established itself as a popular seafood, earning the title of 'national fish.' However, most of the salmon consumed in South Korea relies on imports, which poses several structural issues. Supply can be unstable due to ...

Source: Agrinet