Market opportunities for cobia

The main market is for whole fish produced in the first growing season.

Cobia products have strong retailer acceptance and significant market penetration in the high-end food-service sector.

Expert consumer sensory panels have rated cooked fresh cobia as equivalent to Atlantic Salmon, and superior to Yellowtail Kingfish, in terms of:

• overall appeal
• flavour
• texture.

The cooked flesh is white and firm with tight muscle bundles and has strong potential for value-streamed (e.g. smoked) products. Hot-smoked cobia products also display sensory characteristics as good as other hot-smoked fish products.

High-end chefs have favourably reviewed fresh cobia with descriptors like 'Wagyu of the Sea' and 'Rolls Royce of fish' (quote from Josh Niland chef, FishFace, Double Bay).

Also consider…

• Read the hatchery-to-plate framework for the cobia production chain (PDF, 1.39MB).
• Look through the consumer assessment and retail potential of cobia products.
• Check the aquaculture development areas in Queensland.