Fish consumption among Finns on the wane

Finnish people in 2018 consumed a little less than four kilograms of domestic fish per person when converted into fillets, and a little more than nine KGs of imported fish.

The total consumption of fish decreased by 6.5% from the year before, according to the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

Of all domestic fish, rainbow trout was consumed the most, i.e. 1.2 KGs per person, whereas of imported fish, farmed salmon was consumed the most, i.e. 3.5 KGs per person.

The consumption of imported salmon decreased by 13% from the previous year.

“The decrease in the consumption of domestic fish can be explained by the smaller recreational fishing catch than previously and the decreased commercial vendace catch from the year before,” said Pentti Moilanen, asenior statistician at Luke.

Of wild-caught domestic fish, vendace, pike, perch, pikeperch, Baltic herring, and European whitefish were consumed the most.

With regard to the consumption of imported fish products, farmed Norwegian salmon was the most favourite, followed by canned tuna and other tuna products, farmed rainbow trout, frozen saithe, and shrimps and shrimp products.