What becomes of Tarheel fish 

 between dock and dinner plate 



Fish and seafood products lining freezer counters in North Carolina 

 supermarkets may have been caught by Tarheel fishermen. 



But chances are that before North Carolina-caught fish arrived at your 

 local grocery, they took a detour north. 



Most seafood landed by North Carolina's commercial fishermen gets to 

 the Tarheel consumer in a round-about way. Usually fishermen sell their 

 catches to a dealer, with prices they receive depending on the quality of the 

 fish, its current and predicted supply and demand. 



Dealers sell most of their fish by phone and ship it by truck out of the 

 state to markets in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and the Hampton 

 Roads area. These markets become further distribution points. 



Processors are among the biggest buyers from the fish markets. They 

 prepare and package fish and shellfish, turning it into hundreds of different 

 seafood products. Food wholesalers and retailers distribute seafood products 

 to local supermarkets. 



In the last few years, the long detour between the state's docks and its 

 dinner plates has shortened as the number of Tarheel processors has grown. 

 During 1973-74, 11 new seafood receiving and/or processing plants were 

 built in the state. There were a dozen major plant expansions during the 

 same period. Estimated total capital investment in both new and expanded 

 plants was $4.1 million. More than 400 new jobs were created. 



Although data is not complete, estimates are that North Carolina plants 

 now process 35 per cent of the state's total landings. That's up from an 

 estimated 15 per cent processed in-state in 1969. 



"There's no question that there's room for further expansion of seafood 

 processing and handling facilities in North Carolina," according to Alvah 

 Ward, coordinator of the state's seafood industries development program, 

 a division of the N. C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources. 

 In addition to the need for more icing and sorting facilities, Ward stressed 

 the need for "further processing," processing that moves into heading, 

 gutting and filleting. 



Processing plants don't need to be built on the waterfront, according to 

 Dr. Frank Thomas, Sea Grant advisory services agent who works closely 

 with the seafood processing industry. In view of some new Environmental 

 Protection Agency regulations, it may be better not to build on the water- 

 front, he said. Several new processing plants were built inland, he added. 



Although information is incomplete, Ward believes that more fresh fish 

 is moving to North Carolina's inland than ever before. Much fresh fish 

 makes its way into North and South Carolina coastal resort areas, he said. 

 Fish caught in the central coastal area — from Sneads Ferry to Washington, 

 N. C. — is more likely to move inland than that caught in the northeastern 

 reaches of the state, he said. Most of that travels north, he added. Fish 

 caught in the southern district is distributed northward and inland, accord- 

 ing to Thomas. 



A UNC Sea Grant research project which begins this month should shed 

 more light on seafood marketing. Researchers Drs. Richard Summey and 

 R. M. Piper of the East Carolina University School of Business are tracing 

 the route seafood follows from fishermen to distributor and are trying to 

 pinpoint problems in the marketing system. Information gained in this 

 study promises to be useful to investors interested in seafood processing. 



The Coastal Plains Regional Commission, an agency seeking to improve 

 the economic well-being of coastal regions in the two Carolinas and Georgia, 

 has named seafood marketing as a high priority problem area. A CPRC ad 

 hoc committee is studying seafood marketing problems and is advising the 

 governors of the three states on their findings. 



The University of North Carolina Sea Grant Program Newsletter is published 

 monthly by the University of North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 1235 Burl- 

 ington Laboratories, Yarborough Drive, North Carolina State University, 

 Raleigh, N. C. 27607. Vol. 2, No. 1, January, 1975. Dr. B. J. Copeland, director. 

 Dixie Berg, editor. Second-class postage paid at Raleigh, N. C. 27611. 



Wanchese could be 

 distribution point 



Much of the state's commercial 

 catch goes north simply because 

 there is no major distribution point 

 in North Carolina. Currently deal- 

 ers ship their purchases of Tarheel 

 fish to large northern cities for dis- 

 tribution. 



But looking to the future, a major 

 distribution point in the state makes 

 sense, especially with tougher pro- 

 cessing pollution controls on the 

 horizon, says Alvah Ward, seafood 

 industries program coordinator. 



Distribution would be a signifi- 

 cant part of activities at the pro- 

 posed Port of Wanchese, Ward said 

 in an interview. The Advisory Bud- 

 get Commission has approved and 

 included in its recommendations to 

 the 1975 General Assembly funds 

 for capital improvements in the 

 Wanchese Harbor Project, a devel- 

 opment proposed by the state of 

 North Carolina and the federal gov- 

 ernment. 



The proposed harbor complex 

 would provide basic facilities such 

 as water, sewer and streets around 

 which privately-owned seafood in- 

 dustries could be built. Improve- 

 ment of Wanchese harbor and 

 deepening and stabilization of 

 Oregon Inlet are included in the 

 proposed project. 



"In addition to bringing fisher- 

 men, processors and support indus- 

 tries together, such a facility would 

 bring in a large volume of the 

 product so it could move from one 

 point," Ward said. 



"Depending on the Environmental 

 Protection Agency's stance on fu- 

 ture pollution abatement system 

 requirements, seafood companies 

 may find that centralized disposal 

 systems make good economic sense," 

 Ward added. 



A central facility could also en- 

 courage further investment in North 

 Carolina's seafood industry, he said. 



All about Sea Grant 



Sea Grant in North Carolina, a 

 28-page booklet reviewing activities 

 of the UNC Sea Grant Program dur- 

 ing 1973, is available free upon 

 request. Write UNC Sea Grant Pro- 

 gram, 1235 Burlington Labora- 

 tories, North Carolina State Univer- 

 sity, Raleigh, N. C. 27607 for your 

 copy. 



