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Article: Whitefish: domestic catfish production falls 6 percent: imports of Chinese channel catfish and Vietnamese basa soar.(Market Report)
- Article from:
- Seafood Business
- Article date:
- February 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Diversified Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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For the first time in five years, domestic catfish production in 2006 fell short of the 600-million-pound mark. Meanwhile, imports of channel catfish fillets from China last year were on pace to eclipse 8 million pounds.
The narrowing supply gap is cause for concern for the U.S. catfish industry, which not only competes with Chinese product but also the similar basa (Pangasius bocourti), which is raised in large volumes in Southeast Asia, primarily Vietnam. Through November, U.S. imports of frozen basa fillets totaled a staggering 53 million pounds, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Total catfish and basa imports increased 245 percent last year, ...