Why is Seafood So Expensive?

Seafood is one of the most costly proteins on the market, and it's also one of the healthiest. Unfortunately, due to the limited availability of fish and the risks associated with wild fishing, the price of seafood is unlikely to decrease anytime soon. Generally speaking, fish located in coastal areas are cheaper than those found in inland regions. The reason why seafood is so expensive is due to the law of supply and demand.

Seafood is highly sought after around the world and obtaining ingredients from the sea is more difficult than growing them on land. Additionally, seafood is more prone to spoilage and transporting them inland can be challenging. The cost of fish is so high because there is a limit to the amount of wild fish that can be harvested in a given period of time, before fish stocks around the world deplete and more species become endangered. There are only a few types of fish that are suitable for commercial cultivation; most fish are caught in the sea.

These regulations dictate when certain types of fish can be fished, how much can be caught, and who can do the fishing. Fishing is also a hazardous job, driving up the price of certain types of fish that are difficult to catch. Another factor that contributes to the high cost of fish is that some types need to be cooked by experts to be safe for consumption. Furthermore, they may be heavily targeted by fishermen (or die accidentally when commercial fish are caught), leading to a drastic decline in population.

When buying any type of fish, it's important to read the labels to see where it comes from and if it's certified or not. For example, blue marlin, sailfish, and swordfish in the tropical Atlantic Ocean have become scarce due to industrialized fishing overfishing them mercilessly.