. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. FARMED FISH Keeping Catfish Down on the Farm Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. By Kathy Hart Below the Mason-Dixon line where grits, fried chicken and iced tea reign king, there's no truer sign of regional cooking than a plate heaped high with golden fried catfish, cornmeal hush puppies and french fries. In fact, true Southerners, those born and reared in the heart of Dixie, make pilgrimages to family-style fish camps perched on banks of muddy rivers to feed their cravings for this fried catch. Outside
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. FARMED FISH Keeping Catfish Down on the Farm Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. By Kathy Hart Below the Mason-Dixon line where grits, fried chicken and iced tea reign king, there's no truer sign of regional cooking than a plate heaped high with golden fried catfish, cornmeal hush puppies and french fries. In fact, true Southerners, those born and reared in the heart of Dixie, make pilgrimages to family-style fish camps perched on banks of muddy rivers to feed their cravings for this fried catch. Outside of the South, the catfish's image doesn't fare so well. In other areas, the whiskered finfish is seen as a lowly river-bottom scavenger, whose muddy flavor makes it unfit for the table. But people who think catfish aren't good eating haven't run their taste buds across a mild-flavored, farm-raised fillet fresh from the oven. Yes, aquaculture has taken the catfish from the river bottom to the farm pond, making it a delectable choice at up-scale restaurants, in supermarket seafood counters and on the plates of a growing number of Americans. In fact, channel catfish are the most successful aquaculture species in the United States. In 1989, 340 million pounds of the finfish were seined from farm ponds located mainly in the Mississippi Delta. But as the popularity and use of the delicately flavored fish grows, so does interest in its culture. And North Carolina farmers and entrepreneurs, quick to see the merit and possible profitability of catfish culture, are adding more ponds to the Tar Heel landscape. In North Carolina, catfish growers have about 1,200 acres of ponds in production. Last year, these ponds yielded 2 1 2 million pounds of catfish; this year, the harvest is expected to weigh in at 4 million pounds, says Tom Ellis, director of aquaculture and natural resources for the Department of Agriculture. Large producers of catfish in North Carolina consider the culture of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
