STONEVILLE, Miss. (AP) — The Delta Council board of directors has endorsed a proposal to add catfish to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety inspection program.

The Delta Council is a regional group of agriculture and business interests in the Mississippi Delta. The issue came up in the board’s recent midyear meeting in Stoneville.

“We want the USDA to treat catfish just like it does beef, pork and poultry,” said John Phillips, chairman of the Delta Council executive committee.

The proposal has the backing of the Catfish Farmers of America. The catfi...