Atlanta fish markets see surge as Lent prompts seafood demand and potential price hikes

As the season of Lent begins, many Christians are giving up red meat on Fridays and others every day of the week and turning instead to seafood. That shift is the reason more customers are going to fish markets across metro Atlanta, but increased demand also may create changes in prices. 

At Kathleen's Catch on Clairmont Road, owner Kathleen Hulsey said Ash Wednesday marked the start of one of the busiest times of the year. "People are eating more fish than red meat because on Fridays during Lent, people fast from red meat," Hulsey said. "A lot of Christians fast." 

Employee Yael Mojareim said the uptick was noticeable right away. "There is definitely an increase in customers," he said, as he packed ice around fresh salmon and wrapped customer orders. While more shoppers are filling seafood counters, that doesn't always mean higher profits for local markets.

According to market research firm Circana, wholesale pollock prices recently jumped about 30%, rising from roughly $95 to more than $129 for a 40-pound box.

Hulsey said when her suppliers pay more, she has to pay more, too. Still, she tries to shield her customers from sharp increases whenever possible.

"Just because demand goes up doesn't mean we automatically raise prices," she explained. "We try to keep things steady." Not every market can absorb higher costs so easily. Industry experts also point to tariffs on imported seafood as another factor that could impact prices in the weeks leading up to Easter.

Customers like Audra Miller told us that price and community both matter.

"We can get it at a really good price," Miller said.

She emphasized weekly buy-one-get-one deals on frozen fish as one reason she keeps coming back.

"I feel like they care about the community. They care about the kind of food that people eat," she said. "That's meaningful to me."

Lent is just getting underway, seafood demand is expected to remain strong through Easter. Whether prices continue to climb may depend on wholesale costs, supply chain pressures and global trade policies.