Fish Stories
Vol.1 No. 2 November 18, 1994

Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures
Auburn University, Alabama

FISH FARMING CONFERENCE---The Alabama Fish Farming Conference will not be held in Montgomery in 1995. Instead, Alabama will be a part of the really big show in Greenville, Mississippi. The 1995 Fish Farming Trade Show will be held February 16-17th at the Washington County Convention Center in Greenville Mississippi.
     The Fish Farming Trade Show will represent over 95% of the farm-raised catfish industry and is sponsored by the Catfish Farmers of Mississippi, Catfish Farmers of Arkansas, Louisiana Catfish Farmers Association and the Alabama Catfish Producers. Last years trade show drew more than 500 attendees and 80 exhibitors.

AFFC TOLL FREE NUMBER---The toll free phone number for the Alabama Fish Farming Center in Greensboro is 1-800-838-2332.

CATFISH REFERENDUM---On DECEMBER 15, 1994, catfish producers will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed checkoff assessment of $.50 per ton of catfish feed purchased. For the last five years, farmers have been voluntarily paying an assessment of $2 per ton. Since January, all major catfish feed mills have been contributing $5 per ton of catfish feed sold for the Catfish Institute's catfish advertising campaign. This factor played a key role in the decision of the Alabama Catfish Producers to reduce the checkoff contribution from $2 per ton to $.50 per ton. The upcoming referendum will be for a period of five years and shall be used for research, market development, promotion, education, and other methods to improve the production, marketing, use and sale of catfish products.

Who can vote -- Any catfish producer who purchased catfish feed in Alabama between January 1, and November 15, 1994. Each catfish producer (individual, partnership, corporation or other legal entity) will have one vote.

Polling Procedures -- Voting shall be done by secret ballot in person (not by proxy or by mail) at an established polling place. Prior to casting their ballot, each eligible voter shall write in the register his name, address, phone number, acres of catfish ponds in production and tons of feed purchased for the year. The Referendum Committee will tabulate and announce the results within ten days of receipt of the results from each county committee.

The following is a list of catfish referendum polling places.

For more information, contact Jimmy Carlisle at 1-800-392-5705.

SOURCE: The Alabama Catfish Producer, published by the Alabama Farmers Federation - Catfish Division.

SHORT-TERM AQUACULTURE OUTLOOK---David Harvey, an agricultural economist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, released the "Outlook for U.S. Aquaculture" report in December of '93. The report was limited to the short-term because "the rapid pace of technological change injects too many unknowns to make good long-term forecasts".
     U.S. per capita seafood consumption had been rising steadily since 1972 and peaked in 1987 above 16 lbs. Since that time, per capita consumption had been declining. According to Harvey, aquaculture products have been able to displace (or replace) wild-catch seafood products but have not had much of an impact on beef, pork and poultry consumption.
     Harveys report was published prior to the release of the 1993 consumption figures which show that per capita consumption is again increasing. Whether or not consumption continues to increase depends on several variables. Advertising impact, product familiarity, health concerns and eating patterns all play a role but it eventually boils down to price. The primary reason that seafood consumption had been declining was its higher price relative to beef, pork and poultry. Harvey presented the price comparison of retail broilers selling for $.70/lb which is less than the pond level price for catfish. (Perhaps a more fair comparison would have been catfish fillets at $4.99/lb and boneless chicken breasts at $3.99/lb, but the point is still made that price is an issue.)
     Since declines in production costs have already been a large factor in the growth of the aquaculture industry, the future development of even more efficient production, nutrition and disease prevention strategies will be needed. Development of new production technologies will be augmented by a growing body of knowledge in these areas and the United States' position as a major grains producer, a major component in aquaculture feeds, will be a stimulus to research.
     The future of marine aquaculture may lie more in its role as a supplier of scientific expertise, advanced production systems, or specially bred or genetically improved juveniles for grow out elsewhere.
     Consumer awareness is also a factor and Harvey pointed out that while advertising has an effect, the budget for an aquaculture advertising campaign would be only a fraction of the advertising budget for those other industries. The aquaculture advertising campaign underway at this time is anticipated by the industry to have more than just a slight effect but the scope of its impact will probably again come down to price.
     Most people are less familiar with how to prepare the wide variety of seafood products available than they are with poultry, beef and pork. The proliferation of fast-food outlets have helped the beef and poultry industries while a larger percentage of seafood consumption takes place in higher-priced restaurants where it is often viewed as a luxury item.
     To achieve continued growth, Harvey believes the aquaculture industry will be faced with a number of challenges. One major challenge will be to find a way to increase consumption of aquacultured products in the face of a slowly recovering economy and declines in the economic conditions in two of the major export markets, the EC and Japan. The industry will need to increase demand for its products and not just substitute sales from the wild-catch industry. U.S. aquaculture will also be faced with increasing foreign competition, especially with shrimp and tilapia, and continued downward pressure on prices.
     In the long-term, aquaculture is expected to become a major supplier of seafood products in the mid-to-higher priced end of the market.

SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION HITS 15 POUNDS---According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. per capita consumption of commercial fish and shellfish hit 15 lbs in 1993, up from 14.8 lbs previous year. The increases came mostly from domestic suppliers as exports were down and imports were steady. Consumption had been fluctuating around the 10lbs figure from 1909 to 1972. In 1972, aquaculture really began to take off and seafood consumption rose with it, peaking in 1987 at 16.2 lbs.
     According to the National Fisheries Institute, per capita consumption of catfish rose from .92 to .98 lbs last year. Catfish remained the sixth most popular seafood but is gaining ground on salmon and cod. The top ten seafood items (U.S. per capita consumption) are listed below.

1.	tune	3.5 lbs
2.	shrimp	2.5
3.	pollock	1.2
4.	cod	1.03
5.	salmon	.99
6.	catfish	.98
7.	flatfish	.62
8.	clams	.58
9.	crabs	.37
10.	scallops	.25

     So where is all the catfish being eaten? Sales figures from seven catfish processors representing 50 percent of U.S. production show that the top ten states for total pounds of catfish purchased are:

1.	Texas	39	million lbs
2.	Illinois	21
3.	Louisiana	19
4.	Mississippi	16
5.	California	15
6.	Georgia	13
7.	Tennessee	12
8.	Florida	10
9.	Alabama	10
10.	Arkansas	9

Source: Splash, Vol.4 No.3

     Not surprisingly, the top four states for per capita consumption of catfish are back home in the heart of catfish country.

1.	Mississippi	6.1 lbs
2.	Louisiana	4.5
3.	Arkansas	3.8
4.	Alabama	2.4

     The outlook for increased consumption in catfish country is bright and as it increases, the other regions of the country are expected to follow.

WHY AQUACULTURE??---The following information was lifted from the Maryland Aquafarmer, Fall 1994 issue. It's simple, straightforward information that states a case for aquaculture's potential. My addendum to this information is that if aquaculture can't meet the deficit created by wild fish shortfalls with products consumers accept in terms of quality, cost, delivery, etc., then watch out for the real competition -- poultry and pizza!?!?
     The status of 30 commercially important species from U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service follows:

LARGEMOUTH BASS ON PELLETS---The ability to grow largemouth bass in commercial aquaculture is just about upon us. The drawback for commercial culture of largemouth bass has always been their refusal to accept anything but live food. Live food is obviously not economical to feed on a large scale. Studies on training largemouth bass to accept commercial dry feeds and the production of food-sized fish are currently being conducted at Auburn University.
     Fingerling bass are fed a starter diet of ground fish, freeze dried krill and other palatable feeds. These diets are mixed with, and gradually replaced by, dry commercial feed. Improved training techniques and the selection of fish with the best ability to accept formulated feeds may increase feeding and growth rates.
     A more complete economic evaluation of the intensive culture of largemouth bass using formulated feeds is needed. However, the preliminary results are encouraging and give new dimensions to the culture of this species. Advanced juveniles may be a valuable tool for corrective stocking of reservoirs and the establishment of fishable bass populations in a shorter time. Production of food size bass would open new opportunities for food markets and fee-fishing operations.
     Much of the work on this project was done by Fernando Kubitza. For additional information contact Dr. Leonard Lovshin at the Dept. of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures / Auburn University, Alabama 36849.

This concludes our second edition of online Fish Stories. Please direct questions and comments to:

Brandon Foster
(bfoster@acenet.auburn.edu)
202 Swingle Hall
Auburn University, Alabama 36849