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SURVEY OF ETHNIC LIVE SEAFOOD MARKET OPERATORS IN THE NORTHEASTERN USA |
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| Authors: | Joseph J. Myers Ramu Govindasamy John W. Ewart Bin Liu Yumin You Venkata S. Puduri |
| Affiliation: | 1. Aquaculture Development Specialist, Office of Aquaculture Coordination , New Jersey Department of Agriculture , Trenton, NJ, USA joseph.myers@ag.state.nj.us;3. Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics , Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ, USA;4. Aquaculture Specialist, Delaware Aquaculture Resource Center , University of Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service , Lewes, DE, USA;5. MAFCO Worldwide Corporation, Third St &6. Jefferson Ave , Camden, NJ, USA;7. Ph.D. Student, Department of Food Science , Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ, USA;8. Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics , Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey , New Brunswick, NJ, USA |
| Abstract: | From February through August of 2006, a team of two researchers visited 130 ethnic live seafood markets in the northeastern USA that sell live seafood. Operators of 27% of these locations completed a survey asking basic information about their businesses with respect to live seafood. This study provides interesting baseline information on these markets directly from market managers and operators. The markets surveyed have been in business for median of nine years. Sixty-three percent receive more than one live fish shipment per week. Fifty-five percent of markets sell over 227 kg of live seafood per month. Asians are the predominant clientele in most of these locations. Most market operators stated they prefer freshness and quality over price and availability. About the same number of markets identified strong sales during the winter months as those that indicated constant live seafood sales. Live tilapia and hybrid striped bass are the two most common products. Sixty-two percent of market operators view the live seafood section as very important to overall sales in their store and roughly one-quarter of those surveyed are considering expansion. |
| Keywords: | Asian ethnic market live seafood market manager retail survey tilapia |