Comparison of three fish-loading systems to harvest food-size channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus)

Three fish-loading systems were used to harvest food-size channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus). Loading rates of equipment and their effect on post-harvest fish survival and weight gain during cool and warm weather were studied. The turbine pump loading rate (300·7 kg/min) was greater than the lift net (158·00 kg/min) and vacuum pump (54·1 kg/min), while the lift net was greater than the vacuum pump (p < 0·05). Mean survivals (± SD) for catfish loaded by lift net, turbine pump and vacuum pump from earthen ponds during cool and warm weather were 96·6% (±2·8), 93·9% (±7·4) and 97·7% (±1·1) and 94·0% (±5·7), 85·3% (±8·6) and 89·0% (±12·5), respectively. Mean weight change (± SD) per catfish loaded by the same equipment during cool-and warm-weather tests were −8·2 g/fish (±31·1), −12·4 g/fish (±15·2) and −17·5 g/fish (±19·9), and 67·6 g/fish (±60·6), 33·9 g/fish (±137·4) and 32·4 g/fish (±142·1), respectivley. There were no significant differences among loading systems for survival or mean weight change per fish. The turbine pump is a possible alternative to the traditional life net as a means of loading food-size channel catfish. Further testing on commercial catfish farms is required.