A River Full of Fish: Industrial Catfish Production and the Decline of Commercial Fishing on the Upper Mississippi River

This paper explores the decline of commercial fishing on the upper Mississippi River. For much of the 20th century fishing provided work for many in river communities and an important buffer against fluctuations in the regional economy. In the late 1960s the introduction of pond-raised catfish from newly created fish farms in the southern United States created a source of uniform, mild-flavored, and untainted fish that satisfied the preferences of both the food industry and consumers. Demand for river fish, in particular catfish, collapsed. Today fish are plentiful in the Mississippi but low prices offer little incentive to independent fishers. Some fish processors, faced with declining local demand, have stepped up sales of river fish to markets as far away as New York. Other processors have opted not to fight the fish-farming industry and now distribute pond-raised catfish. This paper explores the complex social and economic forces that have reshaped local economies and the ecology of the river itself.