[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11473-S11474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COOPERATIVE RESEARCH EFFORTS BETWEEN THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES 
 SERVICE AND USDA'S EXPERIMENT STATION AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to report to 
Congress and the American people on a unique success story. A story 
about a public-private partnership. A story involving a cooperative 
effort of two Federal agencies. A story requiring teamwork between a 
State government and the Federal Government. A story about our land 
grant university for Mississippi, and catfish farmers in Mississippi's 
Delta.
  First, let me say, I am proud to report to my colleagues that the 
Mississippi Delta produces 80 percent of the farm-raised catfish 
enjoyed in America. This farm-raised catfish industry represents 
approximately 70 percent of the commercial value of America's entire 
aquaculture industry. Clearly, farm-raised catfish is big business in 
America. And clearly, it is big business for Mississippi.
  But, it was not always successful. The catfish industry in 
Mississippi struggled for 25 years. There were many tales of financial 
woe. However, with hard work and the willingness to accept large fiscal 
risk, Mississippians developed aquaculture into a dynamic and viable 
economic enterprise. The pioneers in this industry spent a lot of their 
own money to build a giant infrastructure which includes production, 
processing, transportation, marketing, distribution, and feed mill 
capacity. We are talking about a $2 billion agricultural investment.
  Mr. President, according to data provided to my office by the State 
of Mississippi, the Mississippi catfish industry employs more than 
25,000. And this industry sells approximately $0.5 billion each year of 
catfish at the pond bank.
  Throughout the growth of this new fledgling agricultural enterprise 
over the past 25 years, the No. 1 priority for the catfish farmers has 
always been to find new production techniques. If you build a pond and 
fill it with catfish, the question is not where the fish are. No--the 
real question and challenge is how to harvest the fish of a certain 
size.
  Similar to any other intensely managed livestock operation, the farm-
raised catfish industry experienced enormous production challenges such

[[Page S11474]]

as nutrition problems, disease, and harvesting technology. There were 
many costly false starts in a search for solutions. Success was a hit 
or miss event. Gradually, solutions to feeding and health problems have 
been developed. Today, part of the catfish industry's attention is 
focused on obtaining new technology. This involves the National Marine 
Fisheries Service. The goal is to take advantage of existing 
technology.
  Now, to many Americans fish are fish. To some, fish are classified as 
either fresh water or salt water. Here is where the Federal Government 
often draws a hard and fast bureaucratic line. The Federal Government 
has two different and distant agencies in two separate departments 
which deal with fish depending on the water they live in.
  This is OK if these agencies talk to each other and share their 
success stories--yes, fish stories. And not about the one that got 
away. In Washington they call this dialog interagency coordination 
which is formalized with a memorandum of agreement. Sadly, this does 
not always occur.
  Today, I stand here to tell you about one of those instances where 
the two Federal agencies did indeed find each other. They found each 
other without prodding from outside sources--like Congress. The story 
gets even better. When they found each other, there was a cooperative 
spirit to help America's catfish industry. Here, there is a success 
story.

  Mr. President, it is encouraging for me to report to my colleagues 
there was a personal commitment, at the staff level, to help 
Mississippi's Delta catfish farmers. The National Marine Fisheries 
Service [NMFS], in Pascagoula, which is part of the Department of 
Commerce took on the persistent fresh water pond harvesting technology 
problems. They worked with Scientists at the Department of Agriculture 
[USDA] laboratory, at Mississippi State University in Stoneville. 
Together they formed a joint effort to apply existing marine fisheries' 
technology to catfish ponds. The established saltwater fishing industry 
is excellent at catching fish. The new fresh water community is good at 
growing fish, however, they needed to learn how to be more effective at 
catching them. NMFS stepped in to share new gear technology with the 
fresh water fish community. This sharing of technology kept the fresh 
water community from reinventing the wheel.
  The Government's traditional business as usual policy would have 
prevented the assistance and technology exchange. To provide this help 
across jurisdictional lines is a Federal no-no. More importantly the 
policy would have been prevented because it threatens budget authority 
and funding issues.
  But, despite these Washington obstacles assistance was offered and 
received. A Mississippi success story.
  The NMFS laboratory in Pascagoula committed itself because of its can 
do attitude. And clearly USDA and Mississippi State University were 
receptive. NMFS brought a range of potential solutions to the 
harvesting technology problems of the warmwater aquaculture industry 
because they had worked on this issue for years in the marine fishing 
industry. I want to single out two individuals. Specifically, John 
Watson and Charles ``Wendy'' Taylor of NMFS's Pascagoula laboratory. 
These two directly assisted in the development and retrofitting of 
harvesting equipment. They had lots of ideas. They offered hands-on 
help. They produced rapid results.

  They showed those fresh water folks lots of new ideas and real 
solutions. Many of these ideas caused revolutionary improvements in the 
harvesting efficiency and quality control for the farm-raised catfish 
industry. Revolutionary is not an overstatement. This is not a fish 
story about the one that got away. This is about the catfish that got 
caught. The proof was tangible and quickly evident at the processing 
plants. John and Wendy made a difference in Stoneville.
  The NMFS laboratory staff in Pascagoula could have told the 
scientists in Stoneville's USDA Laboratory that procedures and policies 
prohibit the marine fisheries' experts of Federal Government from 
sharing their technology with a sister industry. But, they did not. 
Instead, through the combined efforts of these two diligent scientists 
and the cooperative spirit of personnel with USDA's Stoneville 
Experiment Station and Mississippi State University, steps were taken 
to discover potential solutions to the technology problems which have 
plagued the farm-raised catfish industry.
  I must say this cooperative spirit extends all the way back to 
Washington. It is also exhibited by Rolland Schmitten, the Director for 
the National Marine Fisheries Service. There is a leadership example 
which is reflected throughout the agency.
  Mr. President, it is a pleasure to share with my colleagues this 
story of Federal interagency cooperation. It also illustrates that 
public-private partnership can be productive. I think it is worth 
noting that this cooperative effort has reduced duplication of Federal 
efforts. This makes fiscal sense, especially as we strive to make the 
services of government more efficient.
  All of us should look for similar opportunities within Federal 
agencies in our own home States. I am sure there are more Stoneville's 
out there. I am sure there are more ways that the Federal Government 
can deliver cost-effective solutions to the problems. I am also sure 
there are more public-private partnerships that can make a difference. 
Let us use our oversight responsibilities in the next Congress to 
reexamine Government priorities, policies, and procedures for other 
interagency opportunities with an aim of forming more partnerships with 
industry.
  Mr. President, Stoneville should be the standard in the future, not 
the exception.
  Again, I applaud the efforts of the National Marine Fisheries Service 
and I want to publicly thank them. They have significantly helped 
America's farm-raised catfish industry. I strongly encourage the 
continuation of the successful relationship between Stoneville and 
Pascagoula.

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