Will Americans eat more seafood if it’s packaged like meat? The industry hopes so

Americans consume a mere 19 pounds of seafood annually, a figure that has barely shifted in a century - (J. M. Hirsch)

The future of seafood in America might not look like fish at all. From salami and meatballs to fried chicken and spareribs, the industry is making a bold gamble: transforming aquatic fare into familiar, meat-like forms to entice a notoriously fish-averse nation.

This era of "surreptitious seafood" was on full display at the recent Seafood Expo North America in Boston, where hundreds of companies showcased products designed to overcome Americans’ relative disinterest in the ocean’s bounty.