Aq 3 (3-04) Catfish Losses to Wildlife National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 16, 2004, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Catfish Losses to Wildlife" call John Lange at 703-720-0585, office hours 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Catfish Losses to Wildlife in 2003 Reported by 69 Percent of All Operations A survey of producers in the 13 largest catfish producing States revealed that 69 percent reported some wildlife-caused losses in 2003, the same percentage as when the survey was conducted in 1996. The lowest rate of reported losses was in the Southeast, where 56 percent reported wildlife losses, compared with 46 percent in 1996. The highest rate of loss was reported in Arkansas, at 79 percent, compared with 74 percent in 1996. The average cost of wildlife-caused loss for all States was $17,200 per operation reporting a loss, while the average expense to prevent loss was $9,200. Birds were reported as being the most common cause of loss, with great blue herons reported by 64 percent of the growers reporting loss. Other cormorants were reported by 45 percent and double crested cormorants by 41 percent. Muskrats, reported by 29 percent of the growers reporting loss, were the most frequently cited mammal, primarily for damaging dikes and roads. Of those producers reporting wildlife-caused losses, the primary types of damage were wildlife eating catfish reported by 96 percent of the growers, 66 reported injury to catfish, 38 percent reported feeding patterns interrupted, and 27 percent reported levee or road damage. This Wildlife Damage Survey was funded by USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Water : : : : Average State : No. of : Surface : Total :Percentage : Avg. Cost : Expense and :Operations:Acres During : 2003 :w/Wildlife-:of Wildlife-:to Prevent Region : Jan. 1 :Jan 1-Jun 30,:Sales 1/:Caused Loss:Caused Loss : Loss : 2004 1/ : 2004 1/ : : 2003 : 2003 2/ : 2003 3/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number Acres $1,000 Percent Dollars Dollars : AL : 200 25,400 85,159 74 9,800 5,400 AR : 161 34,000 59,047 79 22,400 14,300 MS : 410 101,000 243,176 69 19,600 8,800 S. E. 4/ : 193 4,250 10,200 56 5,800 1,700 West 5/ : 69 3,490 9,488 70 19,000 17,700 S. W. 6/ : 84 9,650 17,855 60 26,500 11,000 Average : per Farm : NA NA NA 69 17,200 9,200 Total : 1,117 177,790 424,925 NA 13,300,000 7,100,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Source: USDA, NASS, Catfish Production, February 5, 2004. 2/ Average of operations reporting wildlife caused losses. May not calculate due to rounding procedures and non-response calculations. 3/ Average of those operations reporting expenses to prevent wildlife caused losses. May not calculate due to rounding and non-response calculations. 4/ Includes FL, GA, KY, NC, and SC. 5/ Includes CA, IL, and MO. 6/ Includes LA and TX. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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