Injecting some energy into a marketing campaign could go a long way for U.S. farmed trout, an industry backed by solid producers. Shutterstock image/G

Trout might be the fish America needs right now

The following is an excerpt from an article published by the Global Aquaculture Advocate: 

With strong production and a product that checks a lot of boxes, U.S. trout producers feel prime time awaits

If there’s any fish in need of greater appreciation, it may be the humble trout. Boasting a bright red-orange and oil-rich fillet like the ever-popular salmon, trout can be grown to market size faster and is often less expensive than its larger cousin.

Photo: courtesy Mt Lassen Trout

But boasting has never been a strong suit for trout farmers, some of which have only produced fish for restocking efforts, such as Mt. Lassen Trout Farm in Red Bluff, Calif. Founded in 1949, the boutique producer raises steelhead and trout both as a stocking supplier for the recreational fishing industry and to nearby consumers in Northern California. It recently gave a makeover to its business model by investing in a processing facility and by forging plans to distribute its product in other markets.

“Mt. Lassen has always had a foot in the seafood business, but through a wholesaler in the Bay Area,” explained David Mergle, owner of Aquacraft Brand Portfolio, which Mt. Lassen hired to build a marketing strategy. “The company was losing visibility when the fish left the water, and they realized that if they were going to be in this business, they had to control the packing, processing and their involvement with the customer. They needed to become way more engaged in the marketplace.”

Some in the marketplace wholeheartedly agree that trout needs a stronger retail presence. Joseph Sabbagh, president of the seafood consultancy Sax Maritime Associates in Calabasas, Calif., told the Advocate that North American farmed trout is not just underappreciated, it’s undervalued.

“The trout industry needs to tell a better story on its long history, its quality and its local attributes as a U.S.-produced species,” he said. “And the people in charge need to have a realistic view of the marketplace and to think about marketing in a very different way.”

Riverence Holdings is now the largest land-based producer of trout in the Americas,  Snake River Canyon in Idaho, USA (pictured). Photo courtesy of Riverence

Case in point: Mergle’s job will be to freshen up Mt. Lassen’s story, elevate the company’s work and connect them to customers with an eye to careful expansion into other parts of the United States, beyond California. The company produces nearly 1 million pounds of fish a year.

In Idaho, Riverence Holdings, which acquired Clear Springs Foods in March 2020, is now the largest land-based producer of trout in the Americas – its combined 14 farms produce more than 15,000 metric tons of trout annually. Riverence produces red-meat trout, which competes with salmon, and white-meat trout, which competes with catfish and tilapia, as well as selling broodstock to other growers.

Chief Brood Officer Sean Nepper said the advantage of trout over salmon is the portion size: “Salmon is a huge filet that’s portioned and sold, but we sell a whole side of trout as a 9-12-ounce filet. For the consumer that means you get the benefit of a full filet, the loin, the belly, etc., whereas with a portion of salmon you just get a section of the filet,” he said. “On the plate, it looks different, too. So we push the 9-12 ounce filet of trout and that’s the direction we want to move in.” (continues...)

Author: Lauren Kramer / Global Aquaculture Advocate | Read the full article by clicking de link here

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