Global aquaculture is a rapidly growing food sector and plays a critical role in meeting growing demand for seafood. The Southeastern United States, a region known for its seafood traditions, presents an economic opportunity to expand sales of U.S. farmed species. However, there is limited information on current preferences and purchasing behaviors for farmed seafood among restaurants. Food service is a major channel for introducing farmed seafood to the consumer, and understanding buying behavior and the factors that drive future purchases is crucial.
A web-based survey was designed, piloted, and administered to over 6,000 restaurants across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The survey was designed to collect comprehensive data on sales and future intent to purchase emerging aquaculture species, including red drum, crawfish, and oysters, as well as purchasing preferences and characteristics of the establishment.
The results show that few respondents, between 5% and 14%, carry the species of interest. The shares of U.S.-sourced and wild-produced seafood vary by species, but most respondents clearly prefer domestic wild-caught seafood. Favoring U.S. producers, respondents place a high value on U.S.-produced seafood (Fig. 1). Safety, product form, taste, shelf life, and freshness were attributes that were ranked as highly important by respondents. Future intent to purchase was highest for crawfish, followed by red drum and oysters. Factors such as food safety and product form were found to be positive indicators of future red drum purchases, with establishments in Texas and Louisiana more likely to increase their purchases, suggesting regional influences. Fresh fillets were the most preferred product form. For oysters, purchase intent was most influenced by a strong preference for brand, with fine dining restaurants more likely to buy U.S.-farmed oysters in the future. For crawfish, purchase intent did not show any clear pattern based on the factors considered. Frozen tail meat is the most preferred. These findings demonstrate how geographic, product-specific, and establishment factors collectively affect seafood buying behaviors.
In conclusion, this research provides actionable insights to guide the strategic marketing of farmed seafood in the southeastern U.S. Marketing strategies should emphasize brand identity, food safety, product form, and place of origin, focusing on key locations where purchase likelihood is higher. By aligning industry messaging with purchaser priorities, the aquaculture sector can expand its market share more effectively and support regional economic and sustainable growth.