[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

my wife and I were just talking last night about those awfull catfish tariffs. thank goodness now we can all relax

[TADSLOS]

First it's catfish, next they'll want nuclear power plants...

[stands2reason]

Cool!! Vietnamese catfish is gooood....

[toddst]

Having visited and toured the catfish producing operations in Mississippi, I know what their fist are fed. If the Vietnamese producers expect their catfish products to sell well here they better address the issue of what their fish eat.

Regardless, we'll stick with the Mississippi products. I don't want to have to think about what my fish ate before reaching my table.

[Willie Green]

I wonder when Robert Zoellick is going to start importing portions of our food supply from Saddam Hussein and Kim Chong-il as well.

[sandmanbr]

The catfish controversy was sparked by a suit brought by Mississippi Delta farmers, who complained that Vietnam had unfairly captured 20 percent of the lucrative US$590 million U.S. frozen fillet market by selling at below-market prices.

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This is a head shot to the catfish farmers here in the Ms delta.

Ponds that rented for $250/acre just 5 years ago are unrentable today.Catfish prices today are at 1975 levels while energy and production cost have skyrocked.

Now here is the untold story

The Difference

Catfish produced here in the Ms delta are raised from fry to adult in special built ponds where the water quality is monitored and controlled throughout the lifecycle of the fish. Their food is a medicated mixture of grain and protein that insures healthy quality meat. Catfish favor is dictated by water conditions at the time of harvest so only the ponds "on flavor" are harvested insuring that only quality flavored fillets make it too the customer.

The catfish produced in Vietnam are caught from the rivers and natural lakes of Vietnam. As catfish are bottom feeders they ingest all the pollutants that wash into those rivers (ie agent orange, Methy Parathion et al).Sick and dying fish are processed right along with the rest.Since water quality in these rivers vary, flavor and quality of these fish may vary from fillet to fillet.

The lawsuit was over the marketing of these inferior quality fish as if they came from the Ms delta rather than the Mekong delta. No where is it stated on the package that these are wild catfish not farm raised. The names of these companys suggest they are farm raised with names that could be Crystal Creek Farms or something of that nature. Thus someone eating catfish for the first time that gets an "off flavor" fish assumes that all catfish taste that way never to order it again.

The bottom line: There is no way to compete in the market when your competitors don't have to contend with minimum wage, FICA, Workman's Comp, Endangered Species Act, Environmwntal Protection Agency and God only knows what else.

[philetus]

Another shot in the plan to banrupt all American business's, put all American workers in a position where they have to bow to the gov. to keep their families from starving and remove all opposition giving up our soverienty.

Excellent job, comrade polititians.