SEAFOOD 



S -A-V- V-Y 



These days, dealers know 

 more than fish. They're talking 

 marketing strategy and watching 

 supply and demand curves. 



our days of fishing at sea, and the crew and 

 its catch finally reach the dock. For the fisher- 

 men, the work is over for now. For the fish, the 

 journey has just begun. 



What happens from the time that delectable 

 seafood is swimming in the Atlantic to the time it 

 graces your dinner table? A simplified itinerary might 

 include stops at a packing house, a wholesaler, a 

 retailer and finally, your table. Whatever the path, 

 the chain of events is all part of the seafood industry. 



By most indications, it's an industry on the rise. In 

 1965, the dockside value of North Carolina's commer- 

 cial fisheries was estimated at $9.2 million. In 1984, 

 fishermen landed over 277 million pounds of fish and 

 shellfish for a dockside value of $57.3 million; the ma- 

 jority of those species were classified as seafood. 

 Nationally, the seafood industry is worth a whopping 

 $2.4 billion. 



One of the reasons for the industry's growth is the 

 rising popularity of seafood. Last year Americans ate 

 more fish and shellfish than ever before. Per capita 

 consumption of seafood reached 13.6 pounds. We still 

 have a long way to go before we catch up with coun- 

 tries like Japan where residents consume nearly 150 

 pounds of seafood each year, but with the current 

 focus on healthful eating habits, experts say the trend 

 will continue. 



Sea Grant extension specialist Frank Thomas, a 

 food scientist at N.C. State University, has observed 

 the seafood industry in the state over the last 20 

 years. He says, "The interest in seafood is up several 

 hundred fold. The nutritional consciousness we have 

 now and the studies that support seafood consump- 

 tion have boosted the industry tremendously. Twenty 

 years ago, we harvested 55 species of fish and shellfish. 

 Now, we're using 75 or 80 of our species. We're utiliz- 

 ing more of the resource today." 



Along with the expanded industry has come an in- 

 creased sophistication. Small fish houses still outnum- 



Photo hv Scott Taylor 



Atlantic Beach shrimpers show off their catch 



ber the large, but their owners know more than just 

 fish. These days, talk of marketing strategy, supply 

 and demand curves, and import quotas is likely to 

 float over the seafood counter. 



Even so, the seafood dealer still has to deal with the 

 vagaries of the business: erratic supply, constantly 

 fluctuating prices, and a market characterized by 

 speculation and stiff competition. 



The level of competition has prompted some in the 

 business to label it "the last vestige of free enter- 

 prise." They say it's a business that's easy to get into, 

 but hard to stay in. 



The seafood consumer also has come of age. He 

 wants to know more about the seafood he buys — 

 where it came from, how fresh it is and why it costs 

 what it does. 



The marketing process holds the answers to all his 

 questions. It actually begins when the fisherman 

 leaves the dock. Ideally, he'll be in touch with the 

 packing house while he's at sea. He radios ashore to let 

 the packing house know what species and how much 

 to expect. 



In the meantime, the seafood dealer at the packing 

 house is investigating the market, finding out how 

 much of the species is already available and what it's 

 selling for. With this information, he can determine 



