APPENDIX III APPENDIX IIT 
Processing improvements in the development of an efficient 
laborsaving machine to scale, head, and gut the fish could 
improve the cost’ price structure for minced products. 
Marketing 
Additional marketing opportunities exist for croaker 
fisheries by, uti hizing, born smali sand. large trrsh forthe ed- 
ible market and by expanding fresh-fish markets into new lo- 
calities. 
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has pursued 
market development of croaker on a city-by-city basis, 
starting with San Antonio. The name was enhanced to Golden 
Croaker to improve marketability, and the fresh fish were 
marketed at 28 grocery stores in San Antonio. During a 
3-week period of heavy promotion, 31,000 pounds of croaker 
were sold at 50 to 60 cents a pound. 
Additional opportunities being investigated by NMFS 
personnel include exporting a minced product called Surimi 
to Japanese processors who are looking for new sources of 
raw fish supply. Test samples of croaker indicate that a 
good potential exists for exporting Surimi to Japanese proc- 
essors who use Surimi as an intermediate product. An NMFS 
marketing specialist estimated that within 3 years the ex- 
port potential would be over 400,000 pounds a day. 
OBSTACLES INHIBITING GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability 
Croakers are estuarine dependent, and loss of this en- 
vironment through land fills or pollution would affect pop- 
ulation levels and stability. 
Harvesting capabilities 
The common concept of harvesting only prime species cur- 
rently in demand, such as shrimp, and discarding the rest is 
a firmly established institutional pattern which hinders the 
development and use of other species. 
Product development and processing 
A high-cost price structure may inhibit the development 
of minced croaker products if hand labor is required to scale, 
head, and gut fish. The development of an efficient 
278 
