The following schedule is from the 72nd Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies which was held October 21-24, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama.
AUTHORS: Luke A. Roy, Terry R. Hanson, Lisa B. Bott, Jesse A. Chappell – School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University
ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the production and economic feasibility of a fixed floor in-pond raceway system (IPRS) to supply processor and niche live catfish markets while also highlighting production issues that arose by targeting these two markets. While the farmer viewed the niche market opportunity as a success, several production issues occurred that reduced survival, growth, and profitability of hybrid catfish (? Ictalurus punctatus x ? Ictalurus furcatus) raised in the IPRS. A west Alabama catfish producer grew hybrid catfish to market size in four IPRS cells in production cycle-1 (2012-2013) and five cells in production cycle-2 (2013-2015). Management and harvest of IPRS-raised catfish changed from production cycle-1 to production cycle-2 due to higher market prices received from niche-live fish market buyers. The high density of fish in the IPRS cells and the raceway’s small size made it easier to harvest small, frequent quantities of catfish for niche markets. Large ponds traditionally used in the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry would not be able to harvest small quantities of catfish. Processors, being the second market outlet, preferred one single harvest of all fish from the raceways but paid a lower unit price. Production and net returns varied by year and even when the producer was receiving a higher fish price from the niche-live fish market buyer than from the processor, overall net returns were greater from the higher survival-lower priced catfish production system than for the lower survival-higher priced fish combination.
