By Jeremy W. Steele
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ukrainian aquaculturists, led by Frank Hauer (lower right), tour Jungle Jim's in Fairfield Friday. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

FAIRFIELD - Weaving through Jungle Jim's massive maze of wine, meats and produce, it's easy to get distracted.

But Ukrainians visiting the international foods supermarket Friday were focused. They didn't need mango or rattlesnake or special cheeses.

They came for the fish.

"They've been looking at all aspects of aquaculture, from the beginning of the fish to the processing of the fish to the selling of the fish," said Jan Sherbin, a representative of the Center for Economic Initiatives, which has taken the group on a tour of about 15 fish farming and processing sites in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky since June 30.

The Cincinnati-based center, which works to promote business and industry in Ukraine, is part of a U.S. Agency for International Development tour program for citizens of the former Soviet republic.

The trip for aquaculture - raising and processing fish - is the 15th tour the group has organized. Trips for Ukrainians to study livestock and farm equipment manufacturing are planned this year.

"They are not just responsible for using this information, but for sharing it with other Ukrainians," Sherbin said. "We're looking for people interested in making changes and have farms viable for the long term."

Jungle Jim's was this tour's last stop. Members of the Ukrainian delegation - many of whom run fish farms or processing facilities - said the fish-farming industry is in a position to grow, but they need ways to make it more efficient. They leave the United States on Sunday.

"Looking to the future, Ukrainians should come into this country to learn," Mykola Bezkorsyy, who operates a fish farm, said through an interpreter. "I really believe in cooperation because we know some things and you know some things."

Bezkorsyy and his fellow Ukrainians beamed when Jungle Jim's fish market employees pulled out giant lobsters for the group to hold. Employees also fished live trout out of store storage tanks so the delegation could see them.

The supermarket has one of the largest live fish storage and sale operations in Greater Cincinnati, store spokeswoman Kelli Stegman said. The operation is especially popular for international visitors and residents, she said.

After a little searching through the store, some of the Ukrainians were surprised to find imported goods from their country. Morshinsk mineral water sat at the end of an aisle, and canned silver carp - like that many of the group members raise - could be found with other foods from the region.

But there was one Ukrainian favorite no one could locate.

"I couldn't find any dried fish to go with beer," Bezkorsyy said. "Please come to our country. We'll teach you to drink beer with dried fish."

E-mail jsteele@enquirer.com