Trout is the exception in EU aquaculture, it's not growing and it's not exciting. It's not that the product is wrong, nor is it a new product - with nearly 170.000 tons (WFE) consumed in the 6 main EU markets - that is meeting consumer resistance.
The problem is that the EU trout market (with the possible exception of Spain) is already decidedly middle aged, whereas the salmon market is only now nearing maturity, and the farmed Mediterranean species have yet to reach adolescence!
But why is trout so different? Surely we can't draw the logical "marketing" conclusion, that it's a product nearing the end of it's life-cycle? Trout isn't condensed milk.
The study recently completed by GIRA for the EU leads clearly to the conclusion that trout has simply been "un-marketed", through a lack of communication and resources, due essentially to an over-fragmented producer base confronted by increasing price pressure from powerful modern retailers.
But this represents an opportunity for the future, if only certain barriers, as much mental as structural, can be removed, and, above all, providing trout can be really marketed as a product quite independent of its big brother, salmon.

Andrew Cookson is managing director of the food and drink consulting and market research arm of the GIRA group. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and obtained an MBA before joining GIRA in 1989. He has headed a number of major projects in aquaculture, involving both consumer research and analyses of the supply chain.
GIRA has been active in consultancy and market research in the food chain since 1970. It is currently involved in the EU's 'PEPPA' project on fishmeal replacement.

Contact details:  GIRA, CIB - 13, chemin du Levant, 01210 Ferney-Voltaire, France.  
Tel. (33) 1 50402400, Fax (33) 1 50402402, E-mail: acookson@girafood.com