Aquaculture in the Midwest

Except for bucolic scenes of fishing on rivers meandering across the Midwest and Great Plains, most people don't equate fish with that region, at least not huge catches of commercial fish. However, as long ago as 1996, "traders in the 'futures pit' of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange were shouting and signaling bids and offers for spring wheat, white wheat, white shrimp and black tiger shrimp" (Weber 1996). Moreover, the shrimp being traded in Minneapolis was of interest to the local trading office of the Thai government (Weber 1996); Thai food depends heavily on shrimp, so finding it at commodity prices is important to the Thai people.

Naturally, this scene would not have been possible except that it is no longer necessary to harvest shrimp from warm coastal waters where they live naturally. Shrimp, as well as other shellfish and finned fish as well, are raised on...
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