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Aquaculture Industry Profile Excerpt
| SIC Codes: 0273 NAICS Codes: 1125 Page Length: 10-12 Last Quarterly Update: 6/23/2008 View Sample Industry Profile |
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The US aquaculture industry includes about 4,000 farms with combined annual revenue of $1 billion. No major companies dominate; the average annual revenue per farm is $250,000. The industry is fragmented: the top 200 farms generate 60 percent of industry revenue.
Aquaculture is the farm-raising of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals. Unlike wild-caught fish and shellfish, aquaculture farms raise animals in captivity, stock and feed animals, and protect stock from predators. Commercial fishing in natural aquatic habitats isn't included in this industry, nor are fish processors or packers.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand is driven primarily by domestic trends in fish consumption and competition from imports. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and protecting fish stock from death and disease. Large companies have advantages in vertically integrating operations from breeding to processing and packaging. Small farms, typically those that are family-owned, can compete effectively by specializing in unusual and high-end products or offering onsite fee-fishing. The industry is labor-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is around $70,000.
Aquaculture competes against livestock, poultry, and traditional fishing operations. Americans consume 6 billion pounds of seafood annually. Around 40 percent is foreign; only 8 percent is domestic.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Major products include catfish (40 percent of farms); mollusks, such as clams and oysters (20 percent); and trout (10 percent). Other products include freshwater shrimp, salmon, ornamental tropical fish, and baitfish. Some farms specialize in fee-fishing, allowing fishing enthusiasts ...
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