New laws, rising consumer interest: 

 the formula for change 



(Continued from page 1) 



boxes and sold either directly to retail markets within 

 the state or to larger dealers who distribute the fish 

 in more distant markets such as Baltimore, 

 Philadelphia and New York. 



Of course the product flow isn't always so simple or 

 cleanly defined. Some of the fish are processed and 

 then sold to wholesalers and retailers. Other supplies 

 are frozen until market prices are more favorable. 

 But for the most part, North Carolina's seafood in- 

 dustry has always focused on the sale of whole, fresh 

 finfish and shellfish, with special emphasis on the 

 more traditional, higher-yield species. 



But there are indications that the industry may be 

 changing. 



Signs of change 



Though only a little more than a year old, the new 

 200-mile Fisheries Conservation Zone (FCZ) is 

 already beginning to have an effect on U.S. exports of 

 fishery products. Last year the U.S. exported more 

 than 350 million pounds of fish valued at $520.5 

 million. While we still import far more than we 

 export— some $2.6 billion worth in 1977— the export 

 figure represents a record 35 per cent increase over 

 1976. 



Obviously this increase cannot be solely attributed 

 to the new fishery zone. Many other factors are in- 

 volved, including the continued devaluation of the 

 U.S. dollar abroad. But as more and more restrictions 

 are placed on foreign fishing activities within the 

 FCZ, it is only logical that other nations will begin to 

 rely more heavily on U.S.-caught fish to meet de- 

 mands for seafood. Thus the potential for a strong ex- 



port market becomes more plausible. In addition, the 

 200-mile zone is beginning to open the way for the 

 development of new markets and uses of relatively 

 non-traditional species such as mullet, rock shrimp 

 and squid. 



There are other signs of change. Consumer interest 

 in seafood, as reflected by per capita consumption, 

 has shown a slow but steady rise over the last decade. 

 Ten years ago per capita consumption of seafood in 

 the U.S. averaged 11 pounds. By 1977 it rose to 12.8 

 pounds. Though the figure is dwarfed by beef and 

 poultry consumption levels, it is a signal to many 

 seafood marketing specialists that more and more 

 consumers are developing a taste for seafood. 



In North Carolina this changing climate has cap- 

 tured the attention of the entire fishing industry. 

 Among organizations such as the state's Department 

 of Commerce, the North Carolina Fisheries Associa- 

 tion and UNC Sea Grant, there is growing concern 

 over the impact these changes will have on the future 

 of the North Carolina seafood industry. 



Even within the legislative branch, the seafood in- 

 dustry has become the subject of great interest. Dur- 

 ing the 1977 session of the General Assembly, a 

 special committee of the Legislative Research Com- 

 mission was created to look into some of the problems 

 of price instability in the commercial fishing in- 

 dustry. Though the committee has only begun its ex- 

 amination, it plans to make a full report to the 1979 

 General Assembly on the feasibility of legislation ad- 

 dressing this problem. 



Elsewhere attention is being focused on the nurtur- 

 ing of new and broader markets for fresh seafood, 

 both within the state and in the Midwest. Coupled 

 with this has come increased interest in the in- 



New markets will require changes in the industry as the appetite for seafood continues to grow 



