The count was the second national aquaculture census by the Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The first took place in 1998.
Sales of fish, shellfish, and other aquaculture products grew about 12 percent between 1998 and 2005.
Census results show that food fish—including catfish, perch, salmon, hybrid striped bass, tilapia, and trout—accounted for about 62 percent of 2005 aquaculture sales. Mollusks—including abalone, clams, mussels, and oysters—comprised about 19 percent of 2005 sales.
Crustaceans, such as lobsters and shrimp, and ornamental fish, such as koi and tropical fish, each accounted for about 5 percent of sales. Baitfish and sport fish comprised 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
Source: Avma