price fluctuations and harvest their 

 ponds when striped bass are not as 

 plentiful. Look for trends, he says, not 

 day-to-day fluctuations. 



Control over time of harvest also 

 will allow you to choose where in the 

 distribution channel you want to en- 



ter. Generally, fishermen sell to pack- 

 ing houses, which sell to wholesalers, 

 who can either sell to restaurants or 

 retailers or to another wholesaler. At 

 each step, the price of the fish goes up 

 because of the profit margin of each of 

 the participants. 



But the fish farmer has more flex- 

 ibility. He can enter the distribution 

 channel further on and get more 

 money for his product. 



Another advantage is that the farm- 

 er has control over the size of fish he 

 harvests. This can be crucial since 

 there are definite preferences for sizes 

 within the mid-Atlantic states. New 

 York and New Jersey consumers, for 

 example, prefer larger fish, from 2 to as 

 much as 30 pounds. In North Carolina 

 and Virginia markets, consumers 

 prefer smaller 1- to 4-pound fish. If 

 larger fish demand a higher price per 

 pound, weigh that against the cost of 

 holding the fish until they reach the 

 larger size. 



To promote your product, research 

 and analyze the market to determine 

 which segment you want to sell to. 

 Then, go to that segment and 

 emphasize the advantages of a hybrid. 

 For example, suppose you want to sell 

 to restaurants. Tell the restaurateur 

 that you can control the size of the 

 product, when he can get it and what 

 form it will be in. 



For more information about aqua- 

 culture, contact Hodson at 919/737- 

 2454 or Rouse at 919/322-4054. 



— Nancy Davis 



A place in the sun 



Photo by Doug Voder 



North Carolina has numerous sites where aquatic 

 farms could locate and several species suitable for cultur- 

 ing. But with a growing season of only seven to eight 

 months in outdoor pools and ponds, aquaculturists are 

 faced with the possibility of shutting down during the 

 winter months. Moving culture operations inside is one 

 solution but the cost of heating large volumes of water is 

 generally prohibitive. 



The solution? A solar-powered greenhouse. 



In 1984, UNC Sea Grant Associate Director Ron Hod- 

 son and marine advisory agent Randy Rouse tested the 

 feasibility of raising fish year-round. They constructed a 

 passive solar greenhouse that would store the heat it col- 

 lected during the day. Water serves as the main heat 

 sink, and a recirculating system maintains water quality 

 and reduces heat loss. 



In January, Mother Nature put the greenhouse 

 through its toughest test so far. Temperatures outside 

 Sea Grant's Aquaculture Center in Aurora plunged 

 below zero. But in tanks inside the greenhouse, striped 

 bass hybrids swam in 70-degree water temperatures. 

 Even when the weather was harsh on plants and animals 

 outdoors, fish inside fared well. 



Sea Grant's passive solar greenhouse 



Hodson estimates the greenhouse cost $5,000 to build 

 and $5,000 to equip as a culture facility for larvae and 

 fingerlings. 



If you'd like to take a look at the greenhouse, contact 

 Rouse at 919/322-4054. 



