ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on some current challenges and opportunities regarding post-harvest quality in farmed Lates calcarifer. The post-harvest quality of farmed seabass is an area that has been largely overlooked and somewhat neglected. This is in direct contrast to many farmed temperate fi sh species where there has been and remains a concentrated focus on optimising postharvest quality. This focus in temperate species stems from the recognition that consumer demand and confi dence is directly linked to product quality and is consequently a key driver of increased production and producer returns. As with wild fi sheries, aquaculture has traditionally focused on quality assurance (undertaking of a series of planned and systematic actions that secure quality) and quality control (operational techniques and activities that are used to satisfy requirements for quality) measures (see Connell 1995). However, unlike capture fi sheries, aquaculture provides an unique opportunity to manipulate, or actively control, the intrinsic qualities of the product prior to harvest, thus better meeting consumer preferences and expectations.
