Promoting North Carolina seafood through Promoting North Carolina seafood through community and business partnerships community and business partnerships Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood & Aquaculture January 27, 2010
Ten Most Popular Seafood Items (National Fisheries Institute) 1. Shrimp 6. Tilapia 2. Canned Tuna 7. Crab 3. Salmon 8. Cod 4. Pollack 9. Clams 5. Catfish 10. Flounder Another favorite: Oysters
National Statistics • Local means “grown / harvested in my state.” • Consumers believe local food is fresher, has less chemical contamination and is of higher quality. • When it comes to food quality, 52 percent of consumers say they buy local whenever possible. • Consumers are looking for authentic products prepared in a “special place,” such as Copper River Salmon.
National Statistics • Sixty-one (61) percent of consumers said they would pay a premium of 30 percent or more for fresh seafood. • Seafood is among the top 10 fastest-growing organic categories for natural products retailers − and was up 26.8 percent in 2008. • USDA predicts seafood will have the largest per capita gains through 2020. • The National Restaurant Association says local seafood is among its top culinary trends in 2010.
2005 NC Seafood Festival • Total number of survey respondents: 175 • Eighty-four (84) percent expected seafood purchased at the coast to be locally caught. • Ninety (90) percent expected seafood in local restaurants to be locally harvested. • Ninety-two (92) percent said they were inclined to purchase local seafood over imports if given a choice. • Favorite commodities were shrimp, flounder, scallops, oysters and blue crabs
2006 Survey by Susan Andreatta, UNC-Greensboro (NC Fishery Resource Grant 06-ST-02) • Total number of survey respondents: 295. • Eighty-four (84) percent of respondents said it was important that the seafood they were eating at the coast be locally harvested. • Eighty-three (83) percent of respondents were willing to pay a price premium for local seafood at restaurants . • Favorite commodities were shrimp, flounder, scallops, oysters, hard-shell crab, tuna, grouper, soft-shell crab clams, snapper, bluefish and trout
2007 Carteret County Survey by Rita O’Sullivan, UNC-Chapel Hill • Total number of survey respondents: 57 • Sixty-eight (68) percent of respondents patronized restaurants, 77 percent patronized retailers and 16 percent patronized supermarkets that offer local seafood. • Ninety-five (95) percent said they would buy Carteret Catch seafood if it were available in other North Carolina markets. • Favorite commodities were shrimp, scallops, flounder, oysters, blue crab, grouper, tuna, clams and snapper.
2008 NC Seafood Festival Survey by Amy Anderson, UNC-Chapel Hill • Total number of survey respondents: 339 • Eighty-one (81) percent expected coastal restaurants to serve local seafood, 80 percent expected seafood retailers to sell it, and 44 percent expected supermarkets to offer it. • Sixty-six (66) percent said they patronize restaurants that serve local seafood, 71 percent select retailers who sell it, and 30 percent select grocery markets that offer it. • Ninety (90) percent were willing to pay a premium price to ensure the seafood they buy is of local origin.
Carteret Catch • Carteret Community College (CCC) in Morehead City, North Carolina, was awarded a Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) grant in January 2003. • The RCCI Program is supported by the Ford Foundation and administered by the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. • RCCI’s mission: Support economic development initiatives that improve the livelihood of rural county residents.
The Need for Branding • Market research indicates that consumers are eating more seafood. • Consumers seem more inclined to purchase local or regional seafood commodities over imports. • County fishermen were searching for better strategies to sell their seafood. • RCCI volunteers observed that the county restaurants selling local seafood were not receiving a “market incentive” to do so.
Branding Objectives Commercial: • Create a stronger awareness of and a demand for local seafood • Improve revenues for fishermen, dealers and restaurants Educational: • Tellthe public when commodities are seasonally available • Tell the public seafood is inspected for wholesomeness • Tell the public marine resources are protected against overfishing by state and federal regulations • Promote the heritage of the Carteret County fishing communities
2008 NC Seafood Festival Survey by Amy Anderson, UNC-Chapel Hill • Seventy-nine (79) percent purchase local seafood because marine stocks are managed for continuity by state and federal regulators. • Eighty-seven (87) percent purchase local seafood because harvesters and processors comply with federal and state rules that protect food quality and safety. • Ninety-four (94) percent purchase local seafood because doing so supports local fishing communities.
Media Coverage • • Cable in Raleigh and Cable in Raleigh and • • The Washington Post The Washington Post Greensboro markets Greensboro markets • • SeaFood Business SeaFood Business • WRAL, Raleigh • WRAL, Raleigh • • National Sea Grant National Sea Grant • North Carolina Public Radio • North Carolina Public Radio • • NC Sea Grant Coastwatch NC Sea Grant Coastwatch • Our State Magazine • Our State Magazine • • Core Sounder Core Sounder • Wildlife in North Carolina • Wildlife in North Carolina • • The News and Observer The News and Observer • Carteret County News- -Times Times • Carteret County News • • National Fisherman National Fisherman • Jacksonville Daily News • Jacksonville Daily News • • NOAA VADM Lautenbacher NOAA VADM Lautenbacher • New Bern Sun Journal • New Bern Sun Journal • • NOAA Research, NOAA OAR NOAA Research, NOAA OAR • NC State News Services • NC State News Services • • UNC- UNC -TV TV • US Airways magazine • US Airways magazine
NC Seafood Marketing Workshops • A NC Sea Grant project funded by the Southern Region Risk Management Education Center (srrme.tamu.edu) • Four workshops were held in 2008 and 2009. • Ninety-seven (97) industry representatives attended. • Forty (40) individuals made significant modifications to their business models. • Funds were available to assist the Ocracoke and Brunswick County fishermen develop brand identities for their seafood: Ocracoke Fresh and Brunswick Catch
Parallel Programs Queensland Seafood Industry Association, Australia (http:/ / queenslandcatch.com.au/ ) Port Clyde Fresh Catch, M aine (www.portclydefreshcatch.com) Brunswick Catch : Fresh from local fishermen to you (www.brunswickcatch.com) Ocracoke Fresh : Caught today the traditional way Cape Ann Fresh Catch (http:/ / www.gfwa.org/ programs/ cafreshcatch.html ) Walking Fish (www.walking-fish.org) Outer Banks Catch
2009 North Carolina Seafood Festival “Cooking with the Chefs: A North Carolina Seafood Experience ”
Recommendations • The “Catch” programs should function as grassroots education initiatives that create greater visibility for their regional seafood industries. • The “Catch” groups should join the NC Department of Agriculture’s (NCDA) “Freshness from North Carolina Waters” program (FFNCW). • The “Catch” programs and their industry members should co-brand with FFNCW to reinforce “locale” to the public. • The “Catch” programs should collaborate with one another to expand their outreach efforts across North Carolina.
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