
Cats
Out of the Bag: New Catfish Line Outperforms OthersBy Jim Core May 7, 2002A new catfish line developed by
Agricultural Research Service scientists
promises to provide a shot in the arm for the U.S. catfish industry, according
to producers who are already raving about its big appetite and superior growth
rate. Fish in this new catfish line, NWAC103, consumed 10 percent more feed and
grew 10 percent faster than channel catfish now in production. Releasing this
superior breeding line should provide greater profits for the industry,
according to William R. Wolters, who leads the
ARS Catfish
Genetics Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss. The new line was released jointly last year by ARS and the Mississippi
Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) at the
Thad Cochran National Warmwater
Aquaculture Center (NWAC) in Stoneville. Thirty-five selected producers in
Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina were chosen by
lottery. Thus far, researchers have released nearly 750,000 pounds of two- and
three-year-old broodstock to producers. And producers are excited about the new line. According to Neil Bowen, owner
of Plantation Fishery, Inc. in Pantego, NC, the new line is probably the best
thing that ever happened to the industry. The fish are such aggressive feeders
and mature so early, that the broodstock at his farm have doubled their size in
one year. Lester Myers, president of Delta Western Feed Mill, Inc., in Indianola,
Miss., attributes his increased feed sales to the new line. He predicts this
strain will be the predominant catfish produced in the Mississippi Delta in the
next two to three years. The new line is a channel catfish, the most commonly
raised catfish species. ARS scientists selected the fish for fast growth and increased feed
consumption in the Stoneville breeding program. ARS scientists identified
genetic markers that allowed for rapid identification and certification to
distinguish it from other catfish. Genetic improvement of channel catfish is
essential for long-term viability of the U.S. catfish industry, according to
Wolters. ARS is the U.S. Department of
Agricultures chief scientific research agency. U.S. Department of Agriculture |