Small- to medium-scale aquaculture businesses in the USDA North Central region face marketing challenges. In this publication, Purdue and Illinois researchers use a step-by-step approach to advise farmers how direct marketing can shorten the supply chain and help them find new customers willing to pay premium prices.

This publication is available for download from the Purdue University Extension Education Store at: https://edustore.purdue.edu/fnr-642-w.html

This is the seventh 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, and American Paddlefish Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Classic Fried Catfish.

References:

1. Pam Fuller, and Matt Neilson, 2022, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=2341, Revision Date: 10/4/2019, Peer Review Date: 5/29/2012, Access Date: 6/27/2022
2. National Audubon Society. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. Chanticleer
   Press, Inc.
3. United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture: 2018 Census of Aquaculture. 2018. United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Available online: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Aquaculture/index.php
4. Bosko, Shayna A., Denise M. Foley, and Rosalee S. Hellberg. “Species substitution and country of origin mislabeling of catfish products on the US commercial market.” Aquaculture 495 (2018): 715–720.
5. Santerre, C.R. & Bush, P.B. & Xu, De-Hai & Lewis, G.W. & Davis, J.T. & Grodner, R.M. & Ingram, R. & Wei, C.I. & Hinshaw, Jeffrey. “Metal Residues in Farm‐Raised Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, and Red Swamp Crayfish from the Southern U.S.” Journal of Food Science 66 (2001): 270–273. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2001.tb11330.x.
6. Fish for Your Health Wallet Card. 2020. Available online: https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/nutr/fish4health/Walletcard/walletCard.html

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

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.

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.

Aquaponics: Farming Fish, Growing Greens teaches STEM through aquaponics, a water-based agricultural system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics. This 9-12 grade curriculum was designed to be used along with an onsite aquaponics system. Curriculum topics include an Introduction to aquaculture, fundamental parts of an aquaponics system, the nitrogen cycle, water quality, population dynamics, our modern food system and more. Lessons were developed to build on each other and be delivered in sequence but can also be used individually.

If you would like to access to all the Aquaponics: Farming Fish, Growing Greens curriculum resources such as slide decks, submit your requests to iisg@purdue.edu.

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 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.

En Español

Acuicultura Libro Para Colorear En Familia en español está aquí.

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