ABSTRACT
Fishery products for human consumption come from commercial and recreational catch and aquaculture. In the United States, aquaculture production has grown from 92,000 metric tons in 1980 to an estimated 405,000 metric tons by 1990 with production estimated to more than double in the next two decades. Fish farming offers opportunities for rural development through ancillary processing and marketing services. Hybrid striped bass has been identified as an ideal candidate for aquaculture production in the Delmarva region. This chapter evaluates the economic feasibility of hybrid striped bass production using pond culture technology. The financial risk associated with hybrid striped bass production can be captured by the probability ranges for the internal rate of returns of the representative farms. Regional competitiveness is an important consideration given the potentially large market for hybrid striped bass in the Northeast region.
