Fish Farms Veer From Mainstream

CALIFORNIA - Two workers stood waist-deep in a concrete tank of dark water under the hot desert sun. Clad in wetsuits, they dragged nets beneath the surface, snaring hundreds of striped bass that were then ``chill killed'' in ice-filled plastic containers.

The harvest yields 10,000 pounds of striped bass every day at Kent Seatech, a fish farm near Palm Springs that supplies upscale restaurants and sushi bars throughout Southern California.

Production is booming at Seatech and other aquaculture firms around the country as Americans hunger for healthier diets.

Many of the companies are going high-tech to boost the size of their catch while adhering to strict environmental regulations.

Source: The Register-Guard