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AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE DOMESTIC
AND FOREIGN MARKETS OF VARIOUS COASTAL HERRING
AND ASSOCIATED SPECIES
B.C. Posadas, C.D. Veal, M-L. Jahncke, and J.A. Gooch
Coastal Research and Extension Center
Mississippi State University
27 10 Beach Boulevard, Suite l-E, Biloxi, MS 39531
“This project was funded by the NOAA/National Sea Grant College Program, US.
Department of Commerce, under Grant Number NA16RG0155-02, the Mississippi-
Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry
Experiment Station/Mississippi State University.”
INTRODUCTION
This paper describes the potential domestic and foreign markets of selected
coastal herring and associated fish species, namely: chub mackerel (Scomber
japonicus), Gulf butterfish (Peprilus burti), round herring (Etrumeus teres), and
Spanish sardine (Sardinella aurita The coastal herrings and associated species have
great potential as human food. Potential domestic and foreign markets exist for Gulf
fishes as food products. It would be beneficial if the factors limiting the consumption
of-these underutilized species are identified
Limited economic information are available on the domestic and foreign
markets of the coastal herring species. Lea and Roy (1976) conducted an economic
feasibility study on processing of groundfish from the Gulf of Mexico. Perkins (1977)
prepared an economic evaluation on canned fish products for export to Nigeria.
Perkins (1978, 198l) also studied the economic potential for Spanish sardines, and
the possibility for a sardine fishery in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Raizin and Regier
(1986) evaluated the impact of domestic wholesale demand for canned sardines on
market accessibility of potential Gulf of Mexico Products. Thrash (1986) evaluated
the commercial feasibility of harvesting, processing, and marketing Gulf butterfish and
concluded that a strong market potential existed for the fish species. Dufrene (1988)
reported that the lack of a good, consistent market for the fish was the most
significant factor affecting a major fishery developing for Gulf butterfish. A onemonth
commercial exploratory fishing operations conducted in the Gulf of Mexico
showed that quantities and sizes of Gulf butterfish that were commercially valuable
can be caught and that the fish can be successfully marketed in Japan. Additional