Seafood Product Preparation & Packaging

The 435 seafood product preparation and packaging companies in the US process fish, shellfish, crustacea, seaweed, and other sea life into fresh, canned, dried, smoked and frozen foods, as well as bait and seaweed products. Processors are often located along coasts or rivers to speed access to fresh catches. Some firms process seafood on vessels or “floating factory ships."

Meeting Health Regulations

NOAA’s Fisheries Seafood Inspection Program and the FDA inspect operations and ensure that the industry complies with food safety regulations.

Health and Seasonality of Fisheries Supply

The seafood product preparation and packaging industry relies on healthy fisheries and is subject to limits on seasonal catches.

Sep 23, 2026 - Seafood Processor Slapped With Hefty Fine

• The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined seafood processor Pacific Seafood $3.2 million for wastewater violations at three coastal plants, the agency's second-largest penalty on record, according to MSN. Seafood processing generates wastewater containing fish waste, oils, solids, and other pollutants that must be properly treated before discharge. Processing plants have been locked in a battle with environmental regulators over water pollution, with millions of dollars in fines piling up. Pacific Seafood and other coastal processors argue that increasingly stringent wastewater quality standards are adding costs at a time when the industry is already facing consolidation and other financial pressures. But failure to meet wastewater requirements can result in substantial fines, legal disputes, operational disruptions, and reduced processing activity, making environmental compliance an important consideration when investing in or upgrading processing facilities.
• Retail seafood prices continued to climb in June, with prices rising 4.1% for fresh seafood, 7.8% for shelf-stable products, and 12.5% for frozen seafood, SeafoodSource reports citing Circana data analyzed by 210 Analytics. Depending on the species, inflation was even more dramatic, with frozen shrimp prices up 18.5% year over year in June, while frozen crab prices increased 13.5%. Shelf-stable products posted gains in both value and volume, led by a 40% increase in sardine sales by value and a 30% increase by volume. For seafood product preparation and packaging manufacturers, the trend highlights resilient consumer demand for convenient, shelf-stable seafood despite higher prices, supporting sales of canned and packaged products. However, rising costs continue to pressure margins, while ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks could keep production costs elevated, according to SeafoodSource.
• A class-action lawsuit filed in March against Target over its “Sustainably Caught” tuna brand claims highlights growing legal and reputational risks for seafood product manufacturers around sustainability labeling, SeafoodNews.com reports. The suit alleges that tuna sold under the retailer’s Good & Gather private label was marketed as sustainable despite being sourced from practices that may harm marine ecosystems. For seafood product manufacturers, Target’s legal trouble underscores the importance of accurate sourcing, traceability, and verification of sustainability claims. Even widely recognized certifications, such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, may face scrutiny, increasing the risk of litigation, regulatory attention, and consumer backlash if claims are perceived as misleading. The lawsuit also signals rising consumer sensitivity to environmental practices, which can influence purchasing decisions and pricing strategies. Manufacturers may need to invest more in supply chain transparency, third-party validation, and documentation to support marketing claims.
• Producer prices for seafood product preparation and packaging manufacturers hit another record high in August, rising 15% from a year ago after increasing 4.9% in the previous August-to-August comparison, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Higher raw seafood costs, labor shortages, and rising labor and packaging expenses, coupled with resilient consumer demand, continue to push prices upward. The latest Consumer Price Index report shows retail prices for processed fish and seafood increased 6.8% year over year in August and 1.4% from July. Meanwhile, employment in the highly seasonal industry shrank 17.3% YoY, while the average hourly wage for food manufacturing workers rose 3.1% in August to $24.70 per hour, according to the BLS. The double-digit dip in July employment was driven primarily by Alaska's weak salmon season, rather than a broad collapse in U.S. seafood demand.

Industry size & Structure

The average seafood product manufacturer operates a single location, employs 64 workers and generates $28.5 million in annual revenue.

• The industry consists of about 435 companies that employ 27,695 workers and generate $12.4 billion in annual revenue.
• The industry is concentrated with the 20 largest firms representing 59% of industry revenue.
• The average American consumes 20.5 pounds of fish and shellfish each year, which totals more than 6.5 million pounds consumed annually.
• The US is a net importer of seafood products with the value of imports exceeding exports by a ratio of almost 10:1.
• Large companies include SeaPak, Beaver Street Fisheries, East Coast Seafood, American Seafoods Group, and H&N Foods International. Many of the large companies, like Thai Union, Starkist, and Bumble Bee, are US divisions of foreign firms.