SESSION 7 . Seafood Chain , Markets and Consumption ( 2 ) The French market for fresh fish : an opportunity for farmed cod ?

As and when the aquaculture industry forecasts a rapid growth of cod production in the near future, the need for prospective analyses on market and consumption becomes acute. Though it is generally assumed that a strong demand for farmed cod exists on European markets to balance the sharp decrease in supply from fisheries, this scenario is worth discussing. The aim of this paper is to contribute to provide preliminary elements to assess the situation, from a case study based on the French fish market, and especially the fresh fish segment which is first and foremost targeted by the aquaculture industry. French cod market only ranks third within the EU, below the UK and Portugal, but cod still represented not long ago the main species supplying both the whole fish market and the fresh fish retailers in France. Moreover, the significant changes occurred since the mid eighties, with the increasing recourse to seafood imports and diversification of supply sources, the rapid expansion of the large retailers and the substantial rise in farmed fish consumption (particularly salmon) have lead to some market restructuring and modifications in consumers behaviour. Both " quantitative " and " qualitative " data are analysed here to emphasize the key issues of the French market and consumer acceptance towards a " new " farmed fish, cod being until now mainly perceived as a wild fish. A retrospective parallel is drawn between cod and salmon consumption characteristics to highlight the determining factors of demand as regards fresh fish.