Bass: Striped

Sunshine bass, Palmetto bass, Wiper

Suzuki

Hybrid striped bass, a cross between striped bass and white bass is an important fish in U.S. aquaculture. Commercial-scale production of hybrid striped bass for the foodfish market began in the mid-1980s and grew to over a million pounds of annual production by 1990. In 2000, hybrid striped bass production was ranked fifth in U.S. aquaculture production and fourth in value of all U.S. cultured foodfish. Production of hybrid striped bass primarily takes place in pond systems, which are used most often in the Southeast United States, but tank production also makes up a large portion of overall production.

Farmed hybrid striped bass diets contain fishmeal and fish oil from wild reduction fisheries, but at moderate levels relative to other farmed carnivorous fish species, such as Atlantic salmon. Inclusion levels of fishmeal and fish oil in diets for hybrid striped bass, however, are higher than those for catfish and tilapia. The ratio of wild fish used in aquaculture feed to farmed hybrid striped bass produced, according to the calculations above, is 1.35, which is considered of “moderate” conservation concern.

There is no evidence of frequent or large-scale escapes of hybrid striped bass from farming facilities. Recirculating and semi-recirculating systems pose the lowest risk of harming wild fish populations through escapes. Pond production systems are susceptible to overflowing, are completely drained after each production cycle, and thus may release small amounts of discharge when water exchange is required. Recirculating and semi-recirculating systems warrant a low conservation concern, while pond systems are considered a moderate concern.

Closed or semi-closed technologies pose the lowest risk of transferring diseases and parasites to wild fish. Much of the water is recycled and very little untreated waste is discharged directly into nearby bodies of water. Pond systems discharge water during draining and when water exchange is required, and are open to intermediate hosts such as birds and snails. The risk of disease and parasite transfer for pond systems is slightly higher than it is for closed systems however to date there is no evidence of transfer or introduction of diseases or parasites resulting from hybrid striped bass farming. All technologies currently warrant a low conservation concern

Hybrid striped bass farming poses a minor risk to the environment through pollution and habitat effects. Large semi-recirculating systems recycle much of their water, capture wastes, and are integrated with agriculture, thereby reducing environmental impact. Ponds are generally drained each year and this could potentially increase the amount of pollution that is discharged to surrounding water bodies, but to date there is no evidence of detrimental impact. Overall, the risk of pollution and habitat effects ranks as a “low” conservation concern.

The management of the hybrid striped bass aquaculture industry can be considered to be generally effective. Farmers must comply with numerous regulations, both at the state and federal levels. There are no obvious gaps in management, though, as has been pointed out by numerous individuals, clarification of regulatory requirements would be helpful. Pond facilities could improve by reducing discharge frequency and implementing techniques such as the use of wastewater for irrigation of crops and the use of wetlands to filter wastes. The industry is relatively young and much research is taking place to improve production.

No health advisory at this time

No.