Identifying market opportunities for farmed marine finfish in the southeast U.S.

Research efforts have led to development of aquaculture technologies for 20 marine finfish species with potential for commercialization. Successful commercialization of these species will require information on marketing opportunities to complement research on production methods. This study provides a descriptive summary of survey results of consumers in the southeast U.S. region. An online survey of 818 seafood consumers was conducted to elicit information on consumer awareness and familiarity with each of the 20 species, frequency of consumption, importance of various finfish attributes, important sources of information on finfish, and locations where southeast U.S. consumers would be most likely to try a fish that they had never eaten. Results generally suggest a lack of familiarity with the 20 species of interest. Respondents consumed seafood more often at specialty seafood and local restaurants at greater average menu prices than at national chain restaurants. The choice of finfish was reported to be affected primarily by taste and flavor, followed by texture, preparation method (restaurants only), availability, and price. Greater percentages of respondents who had consumed a species of interest reported that they were likely to buy it at restaurants and grocery stores if farmed and offered at a price similar to the fish they consumed most often. Market development for these species will likely require media campaigns that include traditional news and social media to first increase awareness and then provide opportunities for consumers to trial the species.