The North Central aquaculture region as a potential market for farm-raised hybrid striped bass

Seafood restaurant chefs/managers, single-unit supermarket buyers, and supermarket chain buyers in the North Central Aquaculture Region were surveyed. Based upon familiarity with farm-raised hybrid striped bass and offer prices quoted, it appeared that seafood restaurants were the most promising retail outlet for the fish. However, only 41.7% of restaurant respondents knew that farmers raised hybrid striped bass as a food fish, and only 25.8% of the dollars spent on finfish and finfish products by restaurants went toward purchases of farm-raised fish. Results of the study suggested that successful large-scale marketing of farm-raised hybrid striped bass in the North Central Region would depend upon extensive product promotion and education of consumers and retailers, especially restaurateurs.