Global Trend of Farmed Fish Consumption Overtaking Wild-Raised Plays Out Domestically With Launch of Bell Aquaculture, Largest Yellow Perch Farm in U.S.

Albany, IN — This year for the first time, according to a recent Wall Street Journal/Europe article, humans will eat more farmed fish than wild fish. The announcement is made by Michael Miller, Bell Aquaculture President & COO, who says the WSJ referenced a report being prepared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The same trend is found in the U.S./Great Lakes Region for yellow perch, as detailed in Food Engineering magazine, with Bell Aquaculture's launch of the nation's largest yellow perch farm. Plus, the same holds true for farmed salmon in the UK, according to The Times Online. Details of the articles follow.

In the October 27th WSJ/Europe article, High-Tech Fish Farms Angle to Make Hard-to-Rear Cod the Next Salmon, "A millionaire dot-com executive turned fishing entrepreneur is pursuing the holy grail of industrial aquaculture — the Atlantic cod…This year, for the first time, humans will eat more farmed fish than wild fish, according to a report being prepared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization." The article is found at: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122505921558870179-lMyQjAxMDI4MjI1NzAyNTc5Wj.html

October's Food Engineering magazine reveals the same trend occurring in the U.S. in "A Real Fish Tale Profiling Michael Miller and Bell Aquaculture." Quoting FE: "The day when all fish for human consumption makes its way to a plate through a fish farm may arrive sooner rather than later…The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization estimates 43% of world fishery production now comes from aquaculture [2006 data now being updated according the WSJ/Europe quoted above]. As a business executive with Turner Broadcasting System Inc., Michael Miller saw it coming. Miller's responsibilities included overseeing some programming, and when some show producers previewed a 1994 segment on aquaculture for him, Miller was hooked." The article is found at: http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/CDA/Articles/Departments_and_Columns/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000438175

In the UK, the November 9 Times Online further elaborates on the farmed fish trend in "Consumption by British Households of Scottish Farmed Salmon has Risen…" Quoting from The Times Online, "Scottish aquaculture, valued in excess of £400million in 2006, is now second only to the beef sector (£467million) and ahead of the sheep, pig and commercial fishing sectors. The article is found at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article5120292.ece

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)

"The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) is the flagship publication of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. This premier advocacy document is published every two years with the purpose of providing policy-makers, civil society and those whose livelihoods depend on the sector a comprehensive, objective and global view of capture fisheries and aquaculture, including associated policy issues," quoted from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' website at: http://www.fao.org/fishery/sofia/en

About Bell Aquaculture

Bell Aquaculture is a producer and processor of farm-raised fish for restaurant and consumer use. Initial production facilities, dedicated to yellow perch (Perca flavescens), are located in Albany, Indiana and comprise the nation's largest yellow perch farm. It is Bell Aquaculture's mission to provide a consistent uninterrupted, year-round supply of yellow perch, with its great taste reputation. For information, visit http://www.bellaquaculture.com

Source: Bell Aquaculture

Contacts:

Jodi Bertram, Realistic Marketing, 913-484-7361
E-mail:jodi.bertram@bellaquaculture.com