22 



Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, the only other question that I 

 have relates to market opportunities. There is a suggestion in Mr. 

 Warren's testimony that the Government can be helpful in promot- 

 ing and helping to identify ways to export more, to market more 

 effectively, the products that we are producing in the aquaculture 

 industries. 



Are there any specific suggestions about how we deal with 

 that in this legislation? Would you like to see a special promotion 

 and marketing program for aquaculture included in here as a 

 specific authorization? 



Mr. Warren. Well, Senator, if you are addressing the question 

 to me, yes, we certainly realize that at the present there is almost 

 no export activity for catfish. We are taking advantage of one pro- 

 gram and are about to enter a survey stage to determine what 

 markets would be the most logical to go. So anytime we can be in- 

 cluded in any marketing programs and get an appropriate equi- 

 table share of that, then certainly it would be to our benefit to en- 

 courage consumption of any aquaculture product and, of course, 

 specifically catfish in my case. 



Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, I do not know whether it is 

 appropriate or not, but there is a chart in the background briefing 

 material that my staff provided that I think ought to be included 

 in the record. 3 I do not know if our record is going to be this fancy. 

 I may have to get our witnesses to do a Tight-and-sound show 

 again. 



But it shows the farm value of U.S. aquaculture production, and 

 it mentions a number of different varieties of product. And I am 

 not showing this just because catfish is such a big item here. But 

 if you measure the value in millions of dollars, the catfish industry 

 had a farm value — this is based on 1990 and 1992 figures from the 

 Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture — the value was $452 million. 



The next closest is rainbow trout, $70.8 million. And then a num- 

 ber of others are listed. I would like to have that be put in the 

 record. 



Senator Daschle. That would be verv helpful. 



Senator Cochran. And I thank the chairman. 



[The chart referred to follows:] 



Senator Daschle. Thank you. Senator Cochran. 



Senator Akaka. 



Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Cochran, I just want to — in regards to that graph you 

 just showed, if any of you have seen it, you notice that tne catfish 

 industry went off the paper. [Laughter.] 



Senator Akaka. In 1985 — and this is being directed to the admin- 

 istration witnesses — the USDA was designated as the lead agency 

 for the implementation of Federal policy regarding aquaculture. 



Senate bill 1288 continues to emphasize and promote USDA's 

 leadership role. The bill challenges some longstanding USDA prac- 

 tices and would require the Department to take more aggressive 

 steps to promote aquaculture development. 



IVIy question is: section 8 defines "aquaculture" as agriculture. 

 This is a far-reaching concept. What we would hope for is a com- 



3 See Appendix, page 42. 



