"'Perch were born to be fried,' said Fred P. Binkowski, a senior scientist of fisheries biology with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes Water Institute. Mr. Binkowski provides Sweet Water and similar operations with technical assistance and baby perch that he breeds under research agreements with the companies.

One company he works with is Bell Aquaculture LLC, an indoor fish farm built in a former farm field near Muncie, Ind.

Bell has invested some $50 million and has been raising perch for three years. It sells about two million fish a year to restaurants and food distributors, said Norman McCowan, president and chief executive. The closely held company expects to turn its first profit next year and eventually produce six million perch annually."

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From the March/April issue of Aquaculture North America:

"Indiana's Bell Aquaculture fish-farming company, the United States' largest yellow perch farm, has started selling product directly to consumers.

Until now, the Redkey-based fish producer and processor has been supplying primarily to restaurants. However, it recently announced that it will be selling directly to consumers in order increments of five and 20 lbs.

In February, the company also rolled out its breaded yellow-perch line along with launching its Bell Perch Online Ordering System, announced by president and CEO Norman McCowan."

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