 Fish has long been a favorite meal for many people worldwide. Commercial fishing fleets, both marine and freshwater, have been around for hundreds of years using trawls, nets, and traps to harvest fish for local and global markets. Traditionally, saltwater fish species have dominated the market. Consumption of freshwater fish and fish products has represented only a minor share of the total fish and seafood market. However, over the past 20 years, the freshwater aquaculture industry has grown into a food giant. Many freshwater fish and shellfish have become popular items in restaurants and at the grocery stores. In fact, freshwater aquaculture has grown into a $1 billion industry in the U.S. alone. By far, the most successful freshwater aquaculture product in the U.S. is farm-raised catfish. Annually, catfish accounts for more than half the total value of U.S. aquaculture per capita consumption of catfish increases yearly. American catfish farmers have become very good at producing a high-quality product for an affordable price. Catfish is a great culinary treat. It has a great taste and can be fixed into a tasty appetizer or main dish in any number of ways. It can be fried, grilled, baked, broiled, or thrown in as a substitute for many chicken, pork, and beef recipes. Also, catfish is the perfect meat for today's health-conscious consumer. A filet of U.S. farm-raised catfish is rich in protein and nutrients. At the same time, it's low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Lower, in fact, than a similar-sized serving of chicken, pork, or beef. Catfish are raised commercially on farms ranging in size from several acres to hundreds of acres of water. The average pond size for catfish production is about 15 surface acres. Approximately 95% of all farm-raised catfish come from ponds in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Catfish farms in these states develop due to the combination of a flat landscape, clay-based soil, abundant water supply, and a suitable climate. A strong catfish industry depends on several factors. A favorable climate, adequate water resources, and a supportive infrastructure of financing, feed, seed stock, supplies, technical and educational services, and markets. The decision to invest in catfish production is important for many reasons. The construction of large levees means a significant altering of the land, as well as a large capital investment for ponds and water supplies. Also, production costs are high. Total capital and operational costs can reach $6,000 to $8,000 per acre, with a delay in cash flow of 12 to 18 months from start-up. Specialized equipment for harvesting increases the investment, while managerial skills are required to commercially produce 5,000 or more pounds of catfish per acre annually. To be successful, prospective producers should develop a thorough business plan before investing. They should also visit commercial farms and obtain decision-making information from various reliable sources. When planning the production of catfish, carefully consider the requirements of the fish. One is a suitable water supply. All water should be analyzed, especially if it will be used for hatchery. Water wells are dependable and are usually the best water source. Wells offer a year-round water supply and are free of undesirable fish in most surface contaminants. Fish are also grown in ponds supplied by surface runoff water from surrounding watersheds that may also have natural flowing springs. Surface water from streams and creeks should be checked for possible contamination by industrial or agricultural materials. Any water used from these sources should be filtered to prevent the entry of unwanted fish. A flat landscape allows for the economical construction of the catfish pond complex. Once an area is surveyed and the pond layout is completed, the ponds are constructed with large bulldozers or tractors with dirt buckets or scraper pans. The pond site should have soils mixed with clay. These soils often have low productivity for agricultural production but are good for catfish ponds because they hold water so well. Areas with pockets of sand, gravel, rockfishers and heavy peat should be avoided. The size of the ponds is determined by their expected use. Ponds 5 acres or smaller are typically used for spawning and fingerling production. While food fish grow out ponds may be 15 acres or larger. Pond bottoms are smooth to help in harvesting and they generally average about 4 feet deep. Exceptions to this average depth are found in areas with sloping terrain where watershed ponds are used for catfish production. These ponds are designed to catch rainfall runoff which reduces or eliminates the need for an expensive well. Watershed ponds are most often utilized in areas of West Alabama and East Mississippi. Ponds should be designed to minimize cost and maintenance. They should share a common levy whenever possible. Other considerations in site selection include cost of the land, the availability and cost of power, risk of flooding or hurricanes, proximity to good roads and market outlets and whether the site is classified as a wetland or is a habitat for endangered species. The cost of moving dirt can vary greatly depending on farm location, the type of equipment used and whether ponds are constructed by the owner or contractor. Although small levy ponds are usually built with a bulldozer, large ponds on flat land are constructed more economically with large tractors pulling dirt buckets or scraper pans. The proper top width of a levy is determined by the size of the pond and type of vehicle that will travel on the top. Levies should be at least 16 feet wide at the top. Levies used as main roads should be 20 feet wide near wells and wider at levy corners for a maneuvering of large trucks. Levy should be constructed to have a slope of three horizontal feet for every one foot of vertical height in most cases. Access ramps leading to levy tops are required and should be designed for easy and safe travel. Main levy should be gravel to allow all weather travel. The freeboard of the pond is the difference in elevation between the top of the levy and the normal water level in the pond. An average freeboard is usually between one and two feet. Catfish farmers can save money and have greater operation efficiency by strategically locating wells and drainage structures. Each water well should be located to service as many as four ponds and minimize the length of the water supply lines. Enough pumped water should be available to fill the largest pond in seven to ten days. The diameter and depth of the well will determine the operating costs and the size and cost of the pumping station. Ponds should also share a common drain line or ditch needed to drain ponds whenever levies are repaired or fish inventories are re-established. The drain can also serve as an overflow pipe to discharge excess rainwater. Water inlet pipes are usually placed at the shallow end of the pond and drain structures at the opposite end. The water level in the drainage ditch should be at least two feet below the lip of the drain pipe to prevent entry of wild fish into the pond during discharge. After the ponds are constructed, the next step is to acquire the fish. The channel catfish is the species most commonly grown commercially. Although blue catfish and blue channel catfish hybrids also are grown. The production cycle of channel catfish begins with adult or brood fish that are usually three years or older. Spawning begins when the water temperature stabilizes above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and continues for about two months while the water temperatures range between 70 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Female spawn only once during the year. Selected males and females are stocked into spawning ponds that have spawning containers made of various shapes and materials. The male prepares the nest inside the container where mating occurs and then guards and cares for the mass of fertilized eggs. Normally about 50% or more of the females spawn during the season. High spawning rates are associated with good nutrition, health and good water quality before and during the breeding period. A female in good condition may produce more than 10,000 eggs. Eggs are usually removed and taken to a hatchery facility for final incubation and hatching. After hatching, the so-called yolk sac fry are transferred to another trough where they use the yolk for nutrition. After about three days, they become free swimming and search for food. These swim-up fry are kept in troughs and fed high protein feed for 5 to 10 days. The young fry are then stocked into ponds at various densities where they grow into fingerlings about 4 to 6 inches long. The production of seed stock or fingerlings usually takes 150 to 180 days. Fingerlings are then transferred to grow-out ponds. The catfish farmer begins with a 4 to 6 inch fingerling and ends up with an approximately 1 to 1 and a quarter pound market-sized catfish. Depending on the initial size of the fingerling, time of year when stocked and the amount fed, this grow-out takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months and requires a broad range of skill, knowledge and management practices. Producers must learn how to feed, sample, harvest, transport and market fish. Since feed is the single highest production cost in catfish farming, it's important to achieve an economical feed conversion ratio. This means that fish should consume no more than 2 pounds of feed to gain 1 pound of weight. A variety of feeds of different sizes, forms and protein levels are used depending on fish size and water temperature. All feeds are nutritionally complete and are formulated primarily from grains such as soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum. Most of the feed undergoes a heat treatment at the manufacturer, which results in a feed that floats. Floating feed helps the manager observe fish as they feed. Observation of feeding behavior helps determine feed requirements and detects any problems that may affect the appetite of the fish. Tractor-pulled or truck-mounted mechanical blowers are used to feed fish. Catfish are fed daily when water temperatures and weather conditions are favorable. During the winter months, fish are also fed according to water temperatures, but feed consumption is reduced considerably. Dissolved oxygen is the most vital water quality factor in producing healthy fast-growing catfish. When oxygen concentrations are low, catfish may become stressed or feed poorly. Oxygen levels fluctuate greatly over a 24-hour period, and unless the levels are regularly checked throughout the day and night, sudden drops in oxygen can result in stress or even massive fish kills. For this reason, one of the most important pieces of equipment is a dependable oxygen meter. Different kinds of aeration devices are used in commercial catfish farming. The most common design is called a paddle wheel aerator. Most other aerators are variations on the pump sprayer design. Aerators are powered by various sources, including electricity from utility companies, diesel electric generators, power takeoff from farm tractor engines, and portable engines. Most farms have stationary electric paddle wheels for primary aeration and several portable tractor powered units for emergencies and supplemental aeration. Besides using oxygen meters to determine when supplemental aeration is needed, water quality test kits are needed. These kits can be used to test for other important water conditions as well as oxygen levels in a pond. Knowledge of water quality is essential for profitable catfish farm management. Constant assessment of various compounds found in the water, including metabolic wastes excreted by catfish, is very important. Aside from these water quality issues, off-flavor is the most common environment-related problem encountered by catfish producers. This is the number one problem affecting marketability of catfish and can pose a serious impediment to timely marketing and sales of fish to processing plants. Farmers and processing plants sample fish regularly before they are harvested to ensure that only high-quality fish are processed and marketed. Off-flavor conditions may last from several weeks to months and often prevent the timely sale of fish. Presently, there's no pond treatment known that will cure this problem, so farmers must hold fish and wait until the off-flavor compounds are purged from the fish through natural processes. There's hope that research will ultimately identify effective off-flavor management or prevention techniques. Catfish can also be affected by disease. Many diseases are triggered by rough handling practices, poor water quality conditions and other stress factors. The key to good management is disease prevention, and the key to disease prevention is stress management. The high population density under which catfish are raised is ideal for the development of stress situations, usually due to poor water quality. Therefore, it is critical that management be vigilant and proactive in minimizing or eliminating environmental conditions that stress fish. One good method for preventing the introduction of some diseases into your ponds is to check fish for health problems before they are bought for stocking. Most diseases can be controlled when diagnosed and treated properly. When a disease is suspected, the growers should check pond water quality and have a suitable sample of fish examined by a qualified fish health specialist. Many universities and some private laboratories have the facilities and staff to properly diagnose fish diseases. Just as genetics and breeding have contributed to significant advances of economic importance in many fields of agriculture, several catfish strains have been developed that are economically important to producers. Sometimes, these improved strains are released to catfish farmers through federal, state, or private research programs. On-farm mass selection practices have also shown some benefits. One hybrid, the channeled catfish crossed with the blue catfish, has several characteristics important for commercial production. However, expawning of adults to produce large supplies of fingerlings for commercial use has not been consistently successful. Once fish have reached a market size for food processing, harvesting is required. In order to ensure the freshest, safest, and best tasting product, it is vitally important to keep the fish alive right up until the time they enter the processing plant. Specialized harvesting and transportation equipment is used to accomplish this. For large levy ponds, tractors are used to pull each side of a large harvesting sain down to one corner of the pond. Once gathered in one place, the fish are then moved from the water to a special live hauling truck by a hydraulic boom equipped with a loading basket. Each basket is weighed and recorded before the fish are placed in the transport truck. Fish are then transported live to the processing plant, where they are immediately prepared for processing. Most larger plants are highly automated, and fish spend only a few minutes from the time of entry into the processing area until they are packed and ready for shipment to market channels. Catfish processing plants produce a wide variety of catfish products including whole fish, nuggets, and fillets. Many of these products go through further processing, where they are seasoned, breaded, or prepared in some other fashion into frozen dinners and entrees. As with any agricultural commodity, the marketing of the fish is essential. This aspect is just as important as production, and a market strategy or reliable sales outlet is a must. The primary market outlet for fish produced on large farms is processing plants. Some plants have the capability of processing more than 1 million pounds per week, while small plants may process 10,000 pounds or less. Large farms also sell fish to live haulers, those who buy and market live fish. Live haulers need a steady and reliable supply of fish, usually from April to September. Small catfish farms usually target retail consumer markets. Some process fish and sell to local restaurants or seafood stores, while others sell directly to the public. Pay lakes or fishing ponds are popular in some areas. They provide additional markets for catfish farmers. Successful operations are usually located near urban areas and depend on a good supply of fish from spring through fall. However, some areas may offer a better and more profitable market for fingerlings than food-sized fish. The future of the farm-raised catfish industry is bright, and continued expansion is expected. The decision to farm catfish commercially is a major commitment. If you're considering catfish farming, obtain reliable information and assistance. Check with the State Department's efficient game, agriculture and environmental quality for information about regulations or permits that may be required to either produce or market catfish. The Cooperative Extension Service provides free information and technical assistance to prospective and practicing catfish producers. A number of publications on commercial catfish farming are also available. Keep in mind that commercial catfish farming requires a strong commitment in capital investment, managerial demands and economic risk. Before any action is taken, check the availability of adequate financing. Make sure a reliable market exists for your potential crop. Consider the long working hours and evaluate completely the suitability of proper pond sites and water supply. Also, consider facility design and construction. If you're thinking about getting into commercial farms, do your homework carefully. This will help to ensure that your decision is good for you and for your specific situation. Consumers around the United States and around the world are discovering the fresh, light taste of grain-fed catfish. They are enjoying the health benefits of a high protein, low fat and low cholesterol dish. The secret is out. Catfish is one of the best tasting foods around, and the catfish industry is one of the bright spots on the agricultural horizon.