West Virginia Aquaculture Facts
From the 1998 Census of Aquaculture

USDA 1998 Census of Aquaculture http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census97/aquaculture/aquaculture.htm
General Information
(Food fish are fish
reported as farm raised for food or food/sport such as carp, catfish, perch, salmon, etc.
Totals may not add due to rounding.)
- West Virginia has 27 aquaculture farms involving136 acres, reporting $691,000 in sales.
- The 27 farms
raising food fish reported $687,000 in sales. Of the total food fish sales reported, 41.9%
was sold to processors, 9.8% was sold to retail, 0.8% was sold directly to consumers, 1.1%
was sold to live haulers, 46% was sold through fee-fishing and recreational use, and 0.4%
was sold through other categories.
- One farm raised
ornamental fish but did not report on sales.
- Twenty-two of the
farms used on-farm surface water, 4 used groundwater, and 1 used off-farm water to raise
the fish.
- Nineteen of the
farms raised the fish in ponds; 12 farms used flow-through raceways or tanks; 3 used
closed recirculation tanks, and 1 used cages. (Some use more than one method.)
- One farm produced
under cooperative agreement or contract for OTHER farms, and 1 farm produced under
cooperative agreement or contract for THIS farm.
Catfish
- The 5 farms
involved in catfish production reported $5,000 in sales, one raised broodfish, 2 raised
foodsize with a live weight of 4,000 lbs., 2 raised large foodsize, 1 raised both large
and small stockers, and 1 raised fingerlings. (No quantity or value data is given for last
five categories.)
- One farm reported
distributing catfish for restorative or conservation purposes, but no quantity or value
data were given.
Trout
- The 23 farms
involved in trout production reported $664,000 in sales.
- Twenty-two farms
produced 316,000 foodsize trout with a live weight of 362,000 lbs. and reported total sales of $649,000, averaging $1.79/lb.
- Five farms
produced 15,000 stocker trout with a live weight of 6,000 lbs. and sales totaling $10,000
with an average of $1.63/lb.
- Four farms
produced 18,000 fingerlings with a live weight of 1,000 lbs. and sales totaling $5,000 and
average sales per 1,000 fish/eggs of $279.47.
- All of the stocker
trout produced was sold through fee-fishing and recreational use.
- Of the food size
trout produced, 41.4 % was sold to processors, 9.7% was sold to retailers, 0.5% was sold
directly to consumers, 1.2% was sold to live haulers/brokers, 46.8% was sold through
fee-fishing and recreational use, and 0.4% was sold to other category.
- Nine farms
reported distributing trout for restorative or conservation purposes, 2,237,000 trout fish weighing 757,000 lbs were
distributed, and 3 farms reported distributing trout eggs or seed/stock for restorative or
conservation purposes.
Other food fish
- Seven farms
reported $19,000 in sales of food fish other than catfish and trout. One farm sold foodsize hybrid striped bass, and 1
sold hybrid striped bass fingerlings; 2 farms sold foodsize salmon; 2 farms sold foodsize
tilapia; and 1 farm sold walleye stockers. (No quantity or value data were given in these
categories.)
- One farm reported
distributing walleye for restorative or conservation purposes but gave no quantity or
value data is given.
- Two farms reported
distributing bass for restorative or conservation purposes, but no quantity or value data
were given.
- One farm reported
distributing Other fish for restorative or conservation purposes, but no
quantity or value data were given.
Sport or Game Fish
- One farm reported
sales of bluegill and 1 farm reported sales of largemouth bass but no quantity or value
data were provided.



