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Posted on 07/04/2008 7:02:25 AM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
A new state law is now in effect requiring all restaurants in Mississippi to clearly display the specific country of origin of the catfish they serve.
While supermarkets have previously been required to display “Country of Origin Labeling” for catfish, restaurants have been under no such mandate until House Bill 728 went into effect Tuesday.
According to a statement recently released by Roger Barlow, president of the Jackson-based Catfish Institute, “This is possibly the most significant piece of legislation the Mississippi Catfish Industry, or for that matter, the entire U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish industry has ever had.
“Since Mississippi is the leading producer of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish, other catfish-producing states, including Alabama, Louisiana and Texas, are looking to us for leadership in establishing C.O.O.L. legislation.”
For many catfish farmers, however, their enthusiasm over the new law is notably tempered by the dire financial realities their farms are facing.
Earl Lake is owner of Tunica-based Lakes Catfish and says U.S. catfish growers have steadily been losing their market share to cheaper, less-regulated foreign competition for close to a decade. Lake says this market loss, combined with the current record high input costs for catfish production — especially feed which is connected with the high cost of corn — is causing many farmers to make tough decisions.
“We have lost almost 45 percent of our market to fish from China and Asia and then you throw in these high energy costs and high feed costs and it’s a tough deal,” Lake said. “A lot of our farmers have gone out.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 12 million pounds of catfish was imported exclusively from China in 2006.
Compounding the economical concerns over large quantities of catfish and other seafood products coming in from China is the fact their imports have repeatedly......
(Excerpt) Read more at pressregister.com ...
It’s nice to see the 10th Amendment at work. What troubles me though is that some Congressman may get wind of this and want to make it a Federal law.
Farm raised catfish from Franklin Parish, LA is the very best.
Why COOL legislation is a good idea. I like seafood but won't eat it when I know there is a good chance it was raised in a Chinese sewer. If I can see it is American I will enjoy it freely.
I don't think the Asian imports have any such standards.
MS PING
Now, now, it isn’t nice to boast!
Actually, USA farm raised catfish is far, far superior to the imported fish from any other country, especially the South America countries.
I worked for a catfish farmer in 1967-1969 as a high school kid. He raised fingerlings for the big farms in the Delta. It was cold, nasty, wet work, but it paid very well. I made $1.25 an hour! In one season, we harvested and shipped over 6 million fingerlings.
Instead of local red snapper, grouper, scamp, etc., they carry wierd frozen fish that I've never heard of, and instead of retailing oysters from the local North Bay and nearby Apalachicola, they import them from Washington State (really pitiful oysters that they admit, do not sell).
Fortunately this is a huge business booster for the local seafood markets where you can pick out your fish while they're on ice...check them for freshness (nice clear eyes, etc.) and you know exactly where they came from. At my favorite seafood market (Gandy's) they can often tell you what boat brought them in and when, but then I've known these people for over thirty years.
There are several places where you can go to the marina and buy shrimp right off the boat (the boat has to maintain a retail seafood license and gets inspected at random times).
On the other hand, I'm told that Washington State ships almost all of their best apples to other states...where the money is, I guess.
More reason to boycott Chinese products.Read an article recently discussing the lack of sanitary practices re:fish farms in China-specifically human waste and various chemicals in the water.Not very appetizing.I’d def want to know where my dinner was from.Chinese are notorious for poor quality standards.Let’s see...toxic pet food,childrens toys painted w lead paint,”toxic” toothpaste....
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas Delta raised catfish are without a doubt far superior to imported ChiCom or Thai catfish.
it’s one of those things like Carhartt clothes, LaCross rubber boots, 1911 style .45s, Mopar Muscle Cars, Southern girls, H and H bagels....
even someone with a 55 IQ can tell easily it’s the superior product
We have a large Vietnamese community here. Nearly every street corner has a truck loaded with boat fresh shrimp for sale. A nice, polite Vietnamese man or woman to serves the public. There is no comparison with the super market stuff!
I agree with your comments re local oysters. Gulf oysters are the best! Texas oysters, I regret to report, are a bit better than LA or MS oysters.
How do you cook/fix your catfish. We love it but don’t know anything about cooking fish.
Thanks
First off the type of catfish is important,I prefer fresh river or lake caught high fin blues or the big flatheads(click on profile for pics). The big ones should be hung up and bled out by cutting at the end of the tail. After skinning it I save only the back and tail sections, do not use any portion of the belly flap. On the big ones I also cut out that strip of red meat that goes down the side, that will give it a rancid taste, the smaller onesit’s not so bad. Soak in cold saltwater for about an hour, rinse and let drip dry. My favorite meal for frying is Zaterains fish fry, it comes preseasoned and I have found no better. Get oil in deep fryer up to around 325-350. Drop in breaded fish and let cook untill they start to float in the grease, remove about one minute after they start to float, don’t over cook. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best way to fix catfish is in a smoker cooker using apple wood and with Louisiana brand Cajun Seasoning.
I don’t know if tilapia is a naturally nasty-tasting fish, but both times I’ve tried it it has been nearly inedible. Tasted vaguely like something gone moldy. Unless I know for sure where it came from, I’m sticking with ocean fish.
I can’t understand why anyone would turn down catfish laced with nitrofurantoins, chloramphenicol, heavy metals, and raised on a diet of human excrement. One can have a choice, eat catfish raised in a pond on catfish food here in the US or the other from China or Viet Nam.
I’ve seen China up close and personal. For that reason, I strongly prefer not to eat food raised in their water.
MM
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