The American farm-raised catfish is proving an elusive catch for Southern restaurant owners who draw big crowds with heaping platters of fried fish and hush puppies.
Rising grain prices and cheaper imports have forced many domestic catfish farmers out of business, creating a shortage of American fish that has pushed prices up.
That leaves owners of restaurants like Mr. Whiskers Family Catfish Restaurant in McComb, Miss., and Smackin' Mack's Catfish Restaurant in Alexandria, La., grappling with whether to raise prices or risk the ire of their customers with less expensive substitutes, like Asian catfish varieties known as "swai" or "basa."
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