Q: Why yellow perch (Perca flavescens)?

A: Yellow perch is one of the most popular of all North American pan fish. It has a mild, sweet flavor with firm white flesh and low fat levels making it a favorite in residential and commercial kitchens alike. Not to be confused with white perch or rock perch, yellow perch is usually only available a few months out of the year. Overfishing, loss of habitat, pollution, and competition from invasive non-native species have reduced the commercial catch to less than 20 percent of its historic highs, an 80 percent reduction.

Q:  Isn't yellow perch the fish typically served at Friday night fish fries?

A:  Yes!  Yellow perch has become extremely popular in the Great Lakes region for this reason, and known for its great flavor and low fat content.

Q:  Is there a difference in taste between wild-caught and farm-raised perch?

A:  No.  Several studies have shown that there is no taste difference.   Q:  What about the news coverage concerning VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicemia) and yellow perch?   A: Much has been written in the media recently about a fish disease known as VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicemia) found in yellow perch and other species grown in the wild in the Great Lakes region.  This is a very serious problem for wild populations of these fish, thus affecting the commerical harvesting and sport fishing industries of the region.   Of important note, VHS is an aquatic disease and, as with the vast majority of fish diseases, humans are not susceptible to infection from VHSV, regardless of their exposure.   We are pleased to report that the yellow perch raised for human consumption at Bell Aquaculture are produced in temperature-controlled systems at or near 72 degrees F throughout the 9-month grow-out cycle, which effectively prevents virus transmission and infection.  Additionally, the parents of these fish have been tested for the presence of VHSV, and have been certified VHSV-free by independent aquatic veterinarians.

Q:  Does your fish contain any mercury?

A:  No.  Unlike wild caught perch, we control the environment of our product and can ensure that no toxins, including mercury, are in the fish.

Q:  Can I order Bell PerchTM online?

A:  Not yet.  We plan to begin shipping product in the early part of 2009 and will have our online store available then.  If you're interested in getting on the pre-order list, just email info@BellAquaculture.com

Q:  How is your product packaged?

A:  We will sell Bell Perch™ in 5-pound containers, frozen, in breaded or unbreaded form.

Q:  Can I take a tour of Bell Aquaculture?

A:  Because we are dedicated to operating an optimal facility for farm-raised Bell Perch, the health and maintenance of growing our fish is essential. Therefore, we will not be offering tours in order to minimize the risks of transmitting disease, disruption of the tranquil growing environment via noise, or any other changes in the fish's environment.

Q: How can I learn more about Bell Aquaculture?

A: Visit About Us to learn more about our company.

Q: Have Another Question?

A: Call us at 765-789-6969 or email us at info@BellAquaculture.com and we'll try our very best to answer your questions.

Q: How do I contact Bell Aquaculture?

A: Contact information for Bell Aquaculture is available at Contact Us.  Bell headquarters is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding national (US) holidays. Please note that Bell headquarters is on Eastern Standard Time.

Q: To whom may I speak regarding employment?

A: Bell Aquaculture is not hiring at this time. Please send resume and cover letter by mail only to Attn: Careers at Bell Aquaculture, PO Box 239, Albany, IN 47320 and it will be held on file.

Q: Why should I choose Bell Aquaculture and Bell Perch™?

A: Bell Perch is our unique brand of yellow perch. What makes it unique is the thinking and hard work we put into the quality of our product.  Here are the four guiding principles used in raising Bell Aquaculture fish: 1)    Controlled environment: Our proprietary water recirculation and filtration system keeps our fish in a temperature-controlled and clean environment, which means healthier and cleaner fish. 2)    No toxins: Wild-caught fish must forage for food and eat what is available within environments that could contain pollutants. Our fish are raised in pure, earth-filtered deep-well water and fed with specially formulated diets that ensure a high-quality product. 3)    Healthy growth: Bell has partnered with a major university and uses licensed technology for the production of fish. This means we have control of our yellow perch genetics. We carefully monitor the health of our fish and have access to the latest information about efficient and disease-free production of the species. 4)    Gentle to the environment: We do everything we can to ensure a positive impact on the environment. We raise our fish in indoor water recirculation systems using minimal amounts of water.  We even recycle the waste from our tanks for use as organic plant food.

Q: What are the benefits of aquaculture?

A: Aquaculture (fish farming) can provide an economical, year-round supply of seafood that does not deplete the available stocks of wild fish. It is important, however, to only buy farmed fish from operations that (1) use antibiotic-free aquaculture feed, (2) ensure that their fish remain contained within the aquaculture operation without escaping to other bodies of water, and (3) protect water quality and the surrounding environment with good nutrient management systems.

Q: Where can I find more information about aquaculture?

A: A number of resources exist for those who want to obtain more information about aquaculture topics, including:                         AquacultureInformation Center                         http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docaqua/basicaqua.html USDA Aquaculture Information http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=2&tax_level=2&tax_subject=295&topic_id=1410 The Aquaculture Network Information Center http://aquanic.org/ Indiana Aquaculture Association, Inc. (IAAI) http://www.aquanic.org/iaa/                         White Paper: "The Important Role of Biotechnology in Aquaculture"                          http://www.bio.org/foodag/positions/aquaculture.asp