Aquacult Int (2007) 15:499500 DOI 10.

1007/s10499-007-9112-3 BOOK REVIEW

C. R. Engle & K. Quagrainie, Aquaculture Marketing Handbook

Blackwell Publishing, Ames, 2006, XII + 271 pp., Paperback, 59.50, ISBN-10: 0-8138-1604-1
David Otton

Published online: 2 August 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

This concise handbook covering the topic of aquaculture marketing is long overdue. The authors start their presentation by pointing out differences between wild harvest and aquaculture marketing. They then go on to explain, in logical sequence, how aquaculture products are created and how they progress through the value chain to the customer. The authors explain the progress of an item through the value chain and the workings of supply chains and distribution channels very well. Further, they correctly observe trends in the aquaculture value chain, for example, the consolidation of processing units. Engle and Quagrainie understand the concept of agribusiness and convey how it applies to aquaculture, but they fail to provide a denition of agribusiness in their glossary and there is no reference to agribusiness in the index. Agribusiness is the sum total of all operations involved in the manufacture and distribution of farm supplies; production operations on the farm; and the storage, processing and distribution of farm commodities and the items made from them (Davis and Goldberg 1957). The authors establish their own denitions of some marketing terms, and this could give rise to some confusion. For example, according to the authors marketing channels can be thought of as customer value delivery systems in which each channel member adds value for the customer. By way of contrast, Stern et al. (1989) dene marketing channels as sets of interdependent organisations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption. There are also some errors in the text that could mislead or confuse. For example, on page 60, Atlantic salmon is referred to as Salar salmo rather than its correct scientic name of Salmo salar. An additional minor quibble is that the authors devote only small sections to the subject of new products, even though such products and new aquaculture species are constantly under development (Otton 2004). On the plus side, the synopses that appear at regular intervals throughout the book are very useful, and will probably be appreciated by lay and professional readers alike. In addition, summary and question sections given at the end of each chapter provide excellent

D. Otton (&) A Summer Place, 49 Andy Poole Drive, P.O. Box 241, Tathra, NSW 2550, Australia e-mail: benooka@bigpond.com

123

500

Book review

refreshers. The glossary provides a good guide to the language of the seafood industry and seafood marketing, and the bibliography and webliography contain an excellent collection of references for future study. Engle and Quagrainies explanation of economic theory is sound, and they come close to explaining the chaotic nature of seafood markets, knowledge of which is only gained by participating as a player in the value chain. Processing, particularly the structure and operation of processing rms, is well explained as are the trends and methods of value adding by portion size and cut. Chapter 6, Participation and Leadership in Marketing Channels, is good; the authors use excellent diagrams to explain marketing channels and make useful reference to how such channels work for major non-aquaculture agribusinesses. This chapter also deals with the variety of outlets for and methods by which aquaculture products are sold. Other chapters deal with the complex nature of food markets and the variety of marketing structures and organisations used to promote and move products into and out of the marketplace. The nal chapters dealing with planning market strategies and marketing research methodologies are sound. Many aquaculture ventures fail because of poor market research. The poor research is often a result of poor planning and the use of incorrect research instruments and tools. There is a military adage that time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted; time spent planning reconnaissance is never wasted. The marketplace dictates what aquaculture crops should be grown and what products should be on offer; the nal chapters in the book show how the essentials of market research are applied to decide on a strategy or abandon a proposed project before committing to it. Overall the book falls somewhere between a start-up manual for a potential aquaculturalist and a publication for use in support of academic study of aquaculture at the tertiary level. In my view, a chapter covering innovation, new species and new products would have enhanced the work. Also the sections dealing with contemporary issues like health, the environment and triple bottom line (social, nancial and environmental) accounting could have been expanded. On the whole, however, the authors intention to produce a book on aquaculture marketing succeeds, and the book serves the secondary role of delivering insights into how domestic and global food systems work. References
Davis JH, Goldberg RA (1957) A concept of agribusiness. The Alpine Press, Harvard University, Boston, 136 pp Otton DD (2004) Establishment of an agribusiness model for assessing the commercial viability of new species for aquaculture. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 660 pp Stern LW, El-Ansary AI, Brown JR (1989) Management in marketing channels. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 514 pp

123