March 7, 2007

Trout sales up 8 percent in the US
 

Increasing awareness of the healthy benefits of fish is bringing up sales of common fish species in the US.

Trout sales went up 8 percent to about US$75 million last year even as catfish sales fell marginally, by about US$1 million, to US $481 million last year.

Trout sales in the state of North Carolina went up 10 percent to US$7.2 million last year while catfish sales soared 19 percent to US$7.2 million as well.

North Carolina is the second largest consumer of trout in the US, behind Idaho, the department said. The state ranks sixth in the country in catfish sales.

There are 47 commercial trout growers and 44 commercial catfish growers in North Carolina.  Most of the state's trout and catfish go to fish-processing companies.