Typical Problems For Aquaculture Farmers 

• A technology is developed to farm a new species. This technology is often developed in the University or other public sector. It is sometimes developed by a private aquaculture company, who torments itself through many years of losing money and endless cuts and bruises. 
• Once the species is considered commercially viable to produce and several companies commence production...a series of market questions begin, such as, "Why isn't the product accepted as quickly as we anticipated in the marketplace? they love our product but we find it difficult to achieve a price to allow the planned profit or often any profit at all. 
• We have and oversupply problem--we didn't expect world production to pass the market demand and drive the price down so quickly. (As is the case with salmon). 
• Long after commercial production of a particular species is in the upswing cycle...the serious marketing strategy and effort begins. The species is almost never market driven for long periods of time while the production escalates. 

There is a world exception......Abalone! 

The future world abalone prices will be affected by factors on both the supply and demand sides of the market--there have been and will be price "ups and downs," but within a relatively limited range-still profitable for abalone farming. Abalone aquaculture, even at it's fast growing pace, will take many years to fill the gap caused by the decline in the World's commercial abalone fisheries. Five year abalone price projections we published in 1990 have been right on the mark. 

With quickly expanding world abalone farming (and much more to come) we will see some price decline---someday substantial. The key is that abalone can still be farmed profitably, even with a decrease in the market price. 

Events worldwide
in Abalone Aquaculture Production? 

California, USA: 
There are currently 15 abalone farms, the majority of which have begun operations in just the last five years. The largest is currently selling about 1 million abalone per year and the smaller, a few thousand. The farmed size is normally 3 to 3 1/2 inches and they are available live or processed or even canned. 

Bodega Farms is the only company selling seeds exclusively to grow out farmers (along with FISHTECH technology if they desire the assistance)---Our customers are not competitors--so by default, FISHTECH continually acts as a no cost "broker" putting world buyer and world abalone farmer together. 

• Japan: 
• 
  Japan has many major farming operations, most of which are involved in ocean enhancement. 
• China: 
• 
  Aquaculture production has grown from 30 metric tons in 1988 to over 500 metric tons in 1995. The numbers may sound relatively small, but remember that we are talking about abalone---which wholesales for about $50,000.00 per ton!! 
• Australia,/Tasmania and New Zealand: 
• 
  These countries have sprouted dozens of new abalone hatcheries and grow out farms in just the last four years. 
• Taiwan: 
• 
  Taiwan currently has over 400 farms (mostly family run operations). This country's appetite for this succulent mollusk still makes them a net importer of abalone. 
• Chile and South Africa: 
• 
  Two of the most recent countries to go into full-scale abalone production. 

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