[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 126 (Thursday, August 1, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 802--DESIGNATING AUGUST 2024 AS ``NATIONAL CATFISH 
                                MONTH''

  Mr. WICKER submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 802

       Whereas the Catfish Institute recognizes August to be 
     National Catfish Month;
       Whereas the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, 
     Mississippi, and Texas recognize August to be National 
     Catfish Month;
       Whereas the States of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and 
     Tennessee embody the channel catfish as their State fish;
       Whereas the United States farm-raised catfish industry 
     employs nearly 10,000 people and creates more than 
     $1,900,000,000 in economic output;
       Whereas the United States had more than 50,000 surface 
     water acres used for catfish production in 2023, and catfish 
     growers in the United States had $439,000,000 in sales during 
     2023;
       Whereas the average catfish farmer produces 5,000 pounds of 
     catfish per acre;
       Whereas 99 percent of all United States farm-raised catfish 
     are grown in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, 
     Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas;
       Whereas catfish is the largest farm-raised seafood product, 
     by weight, in the United States, representing over 50 percent 
     of the United States aquaculture industry;
       Whereas United States catfish must meet rigorous safety 
     standards, making domestic catfish a nutritious choice and a 
     reliably higher quality product than imported catfish;
       Whereas United States farm-raised catfish and Chesapeake 
     Bay blue catfish are sustainable and environmentally friendly 
     seafood products;
       Whereas catfish is a lean fish and an excellent source of 
     protein; and
       Whereas catfish is a versatile fish in the cuisine of the 
     United States, with a myriad of regional and national recipes 
     to be enjoyed by all people of the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates August 2024 as ``National Catfish Month'';
       (2) recognizes the contributions of all workers, past and 
     present, that produce, process, and provide catfish for the 
     people of the United States;
       (3) recognizes that purchasing United States farm-raised 
     catfish supports farmers, jobs, and the economy of the United 
     States; and
       (4) recognizes Chesapeake Bay watermen for harvesting 
     overpopulated blue catfish, thereby protecting the health of 
     the Chesapeake Bay.

                          ____________________