EUROPEAN SEA BASS AND SEA BREAM INDUSTRY: DEVELOPMENT, PRESENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE
R.A. Prickett-1998
Bulletin of the Aquaculture Association of Canada, Edition 98-1: 21-29
Abstract:
Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata) are highly rated species in southern Europe. Although they have been produced in limited quantities for several decades using extensive pond systems; most of the production today comes from cage farms in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and France, with an increasing tonnage from North Africa. Production in 1996 totalled over 40,000 metric tons with an average selling price of about 6.2 ECU/kg (Can$9.70/kg) for sea bass and 5.9 ECU/kg (Can$9.26/kg) for sea bream. Average market size is about 350 g and most of the production is sold fresh, ungutted, and in the round. Most of the research and development phase occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s in France and Italy, and focussed primarily on problems related to large scale fry production. Once fry production problems had been solved, particularly the problem of swimbladder inflation, the industry rapidly expanded using salmonid net-pen technology and financing from generous EU grants. As the industry reaches maturity, sales prices have fallen by 50% since 1990 and the emphasis has shifted to reducing production costs and expanding markets, especially in the supermarket sector. New technical developments such as broodstock selection, disease control, improved nutrition, and the production of related species are only beginning and are still several years behind the salmon industry. Future prospects will depend on learning the lessons of the salmon industry if the same cycle of boom and bust is to be avoided.
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