Catfish Inspection: Consumer Protection or Protectionism?

I have been watching the catfish controversy in the United States over the past several years as I try to figure out where this bad soap opera is going. In a nutshell, the Southern catfish industry is losing market share to imported species and will eventually go out of business.

The issue is now coming to a head as a mandated risk assessment has been completed and a USDA/FSIS rule for mandatory catfish inspection is gathering comments. To read and/or comment on the proposed catfish rule, please …