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Fish and other seafood are widely appreciated
They are silver, red or brown, spotted, mottled or striped, equipped with teeth that retract or have developed to crack open mussels, or they may have rods, swords, fans or spines. Ranging in appearance from very attractive to terrifying, these creatures from the ocean, rivers and lakes come in a wide diversity of species and offer all kinds of taste experiences. Now at its new location in Hall 5.2a at the International Green Week Berlin, from 17 to 26 January the Fish Information Centre (FIZ) is showing what the fish, crustaceans and molluscs normally only seen in freezers, on counters or in tins actually look like in real life.
“In Germany most of the fish products that are purchased are in tins or deep frozen. And in the shops the fish counter often displays only ready-to-cook fillets. We are showing what fish look like in their entirety, with all their individual features”, explains Dr. Matthias Keller, general manager of the FIZ, adding: “And we can advise visitors how to recognize whether their fish has been obtained from a sustainable source or from aquaculture.”
Samples are available of pollock or redfish fillet, fried without fat, smoked sturgeon or tasty rollmops herring, as a special way of satisfying the hunger for knowledge. And for those who want to know what goes into fish fingers, the FIZ stand has all the answers.
Alaskan pollock is still the best selling fish
Fish and other seafood are in great demand in Germany. In 2018 retail sales increased once again to a total of 3.9 billion euros. For 2019 the industry is expecting a further rise in the volume sold and in expenditure, both on the retail side and in consumption outside the home. Estimates by the FIZ for 2018 put the per capita consumption of fish and other seafood at 14.4 kilograms (compared with 14.1 kg in 2017). For 2019 the FIZ expects the consumption of fish to remain high and in excess of 14 kilograms.
Once again the most widely eaten fish is Alaskan pollock, followed by salmon and, for the first time, tuna, which has taken over from herring in fourth place. Demand for prawns continues to put them among the top five fisheries and aquaculture products in Germany. Fish sales were highest in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in 2018, whereas in Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg there is still room for more fish and other seafood in the shopping trolley. In 2018 demand was particularly high for canned fish and marinades, as well as for deep-frozen items. Consumers also bought large numbers of products made from shrimps and molluscs.
“In Germany fish and other seafood remain very popular”, according to Dr. Matthias Keller. “We expect demand to increase in the future too, because fish and seafood are popular food items for the home and also outside the home. They offer diversity, safety and enjoyment, making a positive contribution to a balanced diet.”
The display by the FIZ at the fair receives financial support from the European Union, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), Germany’s federal government and the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
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