Small-scale aquaculture producers have income opportunities if they plan their production processes—and plan them well. One of the fundamental principles in marketing is to make it part of the overall planning process. Consider marketing decisions as important as production decisions. No matter how small your aquaculture operation, developing a marketing plan for what you will produce is the best strategy, because the fish have to be sold once they reach marketable sizes.

The brochure is an overview of what a fish producer thinking about small-scale fish processing needs to know. The overview includes training requirements, available facilities and highlights of select farmers who have gone through the process.

This is the sixth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, and Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Zesty Grilled Paddlefish.

References:

1. National Audubon Society. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. Chanticleer Press, Inc.
2. Stickney, R.R. 1996. Aquaculture in the United States, A Historical Survey. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 372.
3. Zhang, H., Jarić, I., Roberts, D.L., He, Y., Du, H., Wu, J., Wang, C., and Wei, Q. 2020. Extinction of one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes: Lessons for conserving the endangered Yangtze fauna. Science of The Total Environment, 710, 136242. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136242.
4. Herring, J. L., & Mims, S. D. (2015). Paddlefish Food Products. In Paddlefish Aquaculture (pp. 179-208). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5. Dasgupta, S., Onders, R.J., Gunderson, D.T. and Mims, S.D. (2004), Methylmercury Concentrations Found in Wild and Farm-raised Paddlefish. Journal of Food Science, 69: fct122-fct125.

Whether you are an aquaculture producer or you are thinking of starting an aquaculture business, this site provides you the best information to ensure a productive, innovative, and profitable aquaculture business.

For more detailed information, visit Aquaculture Economics and Marketing Resources

This print-your-own coloring book provides a fun and active way for children and adults to learn about the many kinds of aquatic animals that are raised on farms for aquaculture. Each spread highlights one species, pairing a beautifully illustrated coloring page with accompanying text for both advanced and beginning readers with information about aquaculture, fisheries, recreational fishing and cooking tips.

Professionally printed coloring books are also available while supplies last. Requests can be submitted to iisg@purdue.edu.

Coloring Guide: https://eatmidwestfish.org/coloring-guide

Watch and read along with IISG’s communications coordinator, Hope Charters, as she reads the beginning reader sections in the Aquaculture Family Coloring Book. Each spread of the coloring book is separated into two sections: an advance reader section on the left (for grown-ups and advanced readers) and a beginning reader section on the right. We hope that you will enjoy reading along.

An informational video about Aquaponics, the practice of combining fish farming and hydroponics. The program is an introduction to the recommended practices and guidelines for starting a successful aquaponics operation . The video was supported by Purdue Extension, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

Please view at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26xpMCXP9bw

Please check out all the IISG videos at: https://www.youtube.com/user/iiseagrant/videos

This is the eighth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Rainbow Trout Farmed Fished Fact Sheet, Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fish Fact Sheet,  American Paddlefish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, and Channel Catfish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Easy Baked Salmon.

References:

1. National Audubon Society. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. Chanticleer Press, Inc.
2. Fish Watch. U.S. Seafood Facts. Available online: https://www.fishwatch.gov/profiles/atlantic-salmon?_ga=2.87721752.1801739739.1658525024-826017170.1655993192.
3. Jensen IJ, Eilertsen KE, Otnæs CHA, Mæhre HK, Elvevoll EO. 2020. “An Update on the Content of Fatty Acids, Dioxins, PCBs and Heavy Metals in Farmed, Escaped and Wild Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Norway.” Foods,19;9(12):1901. Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/12/1901.
4. Foran, J, Hites, R, Carpneter, D, Hamilton, C, Mathew-Amos, A, and Schwager, S. 2004. “A Survey of Metals in Tissue of Farmed Atlantic and Wild Pacific Salmon.” Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol 23 (9), pp. 2108–2110.
5. Lundebye, A, Lock, E, Rasinger, J, Nøstbakken, O, Hannisdal, R, Karlsbakk, E, Wennevik, V, Madhun, A, Madsen, L, Eide Graff, I, Ørnsrud, R. 2017. “Lower levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants, metals and the marine omega 3-fatty acid DHA in farmed compared to wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).” Environmental Research, Vol 155: 49-59. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.01.026.
6. EPA-FDA Advice about Eating Fish and Shellfish: For Those Who Might Become Pregnant, Are Pregnant, Are Breastfeeding, and for Children. Available online: https://www.epa.gov/fish-tech/epa-fda-advice-about-eating-fish-and-shellfish.
7. Fish for Your Health Wallet Card. 2020. Available online: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/nutr/fish4health/Walletcard/walletCard.html.

This is the twelfth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See Hybrid Striped Bass Farmed Fish Fact Sheet,  Freshwater Prawn Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Largemouth Bass Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Atlantic Salmon Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Rainbow Trout Farmed Fished Fact Sheet, Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fish Fact Sheet,  American Paddlefish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, and Channel Catfish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Bluegill Chowder.

References:

1. Pam Fuller, and Matt Cannister, 2023, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819: U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=385, Revision Date: 6/27/2019, Peer Review Date: 4/12/2013, Access Date: 6/17/2023. 
2. National Audubon Society. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. Chanticleer
   Press, Inc.
3. Wang, D.H., Jackson, J.R., Twining, C., Rudstam, L.G., Zollweg-Horan, E., Kraft, C., Lawrence, P., Kothapalli, K., Wang, Z., Brenna. J.T. Saturated Branched Chain, Normal Odd-Carbon-Numbered, and n-3 (Omega-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Freshwater Fish in the Northeastern United States. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2016; 64 (40): 7512-7519. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b03491.
4. Williams, M.C.W., Murphy, E.W., McCarty, H.B., Snyder, B.D., Schrank, C., McCann, P.J., Crimmins, B.S. Variation in the essential fatty acid EPA and DHA in fillets of fish from the Great Lakes region. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 2017; 43(3): 150-160. DOI:10.1016/j.jglr.2017.03.001.
5. Sackett, D. K., Cope, W. G., Rice, J. A., & Aday, D. D. The Influence of Fish Length on Tissue Mercury Dynamics: Implications for Natural Resource Management and Human Health Risk. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2013. 10(2), 638-659. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph10020638.
6. Stevens, A.L., Baird, I,G., McIntryre, P.B. Differences in Mercury Exposure among Wisconsin Anglers Arising from Fish Consumption Preferences and Advisory Awareness. Fisheries Magazine. 2017. DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10013.
7. Ikem, A., Egilla, J. Trace element content of fish feed and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) from aquaculture and wild source in Missouri. Food Chemistry. 2008. 110(2): 301-309. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.02.003.
8. Health advisory and guidelines for eating fish from Silverwood Lake (San Bernardino County). 2013. California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Produced in conjunction with Purdue University Extention, this instructional video provides information advice for aquaculture in Indiana. The program covers the recommended practices and guidelines for starting a successful cage culture operation.

See video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVuutSlWmQQ&t=65s

View all of IISG’s video at: https://www.youtube.com/user/iiseagrant/videos