Q. How does this differ from wild catfish?

A. U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is the opposite of wild catfish. This is farm-raised in clean, fresh water inland ponds in the southern U.S. and fed a floating puffed grain pellet. Because this fish eats and lives at the surface of the ponds, it shares none of the attributes of wild or Atlantic catfish.

Q. Is U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish just a southern staple?

A. Not any more. Chicago, IL. is actually North America’s largest city market for U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish. However, this fish is farm-raised primarily in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Carolinas according to tight regulations set by The Catfish Institute, the United States Department of Commerce and the Food and Drug Administration.

Q. Is this product new?

A. Far from it. The Catfish Institute in America is that country’s largest aquaculture organization and the U.S. industry has been raising catfish for the world market for over 30 years.

Q. How can I serve this fish?

A. U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is one of the most versatile fish available. You can do almost anything with it including broiling, baking, poaching, frying, blackening, even grilling. Try it simple or spicy– whatever suits you.

Q. How important is the issue of endangered fish?

A. There is a growing sense of environmentalism among Canadian consumers, chefs and retailers. This is also the reason behind the creation of Canada’s Endangered Seafood Alliance, which, with the help of the country’s most prestigious restaurants, is promoting the consumption of fish that are not endangered. U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is listed as one of these non-endangered fish by many leading environmental groups including the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the Audubon Society.

Q. Why is this fish endorsed by environmental groups?

A. There are a number of reasons. This fish is grown in inland ponds so it cannot disturb natural ecosystems and can be very closely monitored by regulatory agencies. Also, it provides an alternative to depleting global wild stocks of seafood. There are many forms of aquaculture in the world, and some are clearly better than others. Environmentalists agree that the practices employed by TCI are among the safest and most environmentally-friendly anywhere.