Warmwater Fish Production as a Niche Production and Market Diversification Strategy for Organic Arable Farmers with Implications for Sustainability and Public Health
This project has now finished. However, there are exciting opportunities for potential adopters under our new collaboration with Scottish Enterprise - Tilapia Scotland
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Institute of Aquaculture I Department of Marketing I Public Health Research Group |
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Background Research Outputs
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Tilapia Markets & Focus Groups An initial exploratory consumer questionnaire was conducted in 2005 at the Mela, part of the International Edinburgh Arts Festival, to gain some insights into the broad area of fish as food. The Mela is an annual intercultural festival which attracts a diverse group of people and it provided an ideal opportunity to gain a cross-section of socio-cultural attitudes and perceptions. Exploration focused upon consumers’ environmental awareness and implications of consuming fish, perceptions of seafood and health, the concept of organic food, as well as awareness of tilapia amongst consumers from a variety of British and ethnic backgrounds. The range of responses gathered highlighted a number of interesting favourable perceptions but also too indicated apparent confusion over issues with organic and sustainable food production. These issues required further investigation, and so the consumer focus group discussions which followed were shaped around these. The consumer focus groups were held throughout 2005 and 2006 in Glasgow, Stirling, Edinburgh and London with a range of white British and ethnic participants. The main issues explored were participants’ attitudes towards health, food and fish, the perceived health benefits of fish consumption, sustainable food production, organic fish and participants awareness, perceptions and purchase habits concerning tilapia.
Further research in London involved visits to various fresh fish markets and mongers, ethnic grocers and frozen fish specialists, market fish stalls and top-end retail fishmongers such as Harrods, to assess the current market availability of tilapia, prices and perceptions of the fish amongst industry players.
More recently, in September 2006, a small scale product placement trial with tilapia featured on the menu in a restaurant and a pub in Devon was conducted, to gauge both chefs’ and customers’ reaction to tilapia in their normal working and dining environment. Interviews with various fish suppliers, mongers and restaurant chefs were also undertaken to obtain a broader spectrum of knowledge and reaction to high quality, locally farmed tilapia in Devon. The marketing results so far support the initial premise of there being a number of niche markets for tilapia produced from local small-scale environmentally-friendly units. Three target groups in the UK are identified: ethnic consumers, green consumers and the gastro-pub set (a growing component of the wider foodservice market). Consumers’ responses tend to confirm the general lack of knowledge about tilapia; however, awareness is increasing and can be expected to continue to expand as wider exposure occurs through more extensive market presence. Evidence gathered suggests that green consumers may be most influenced by the tag ‘locally produced’. The emergent growth of farmers’ markets might provide some scope to reach target consumers, but the time required for customer communication and product support may constrain small producers. Another route to establish communications and promote awareness of tilapia as a product is within the foodservice sector. The relatively small scale of production will tend to favour outlets catering for higher unit value diners rather than those who are more price-focused. The emergent trend of gastro pubs and selected high-end restaurants, including ethnic specialities too, all emphasising local supplies and potentially green and organic credentials would thus seem to be the more viable initial targets.
Red and Black tilapia fillets |
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