Barramundi Cod

[Derek Bullock]

I was at the Sydney Seafood Markets today drooling. Bit like one of those bloodhounds with thick saliva dripping from their jowls. Prawns of all sizes and type, local crayfish, Tasmanian crayfish, west Aussie crayfish, oysters, mussels, fresh fish of every type and shape .................... ended up having half a lobster, prawns and smoked salmon with a very small salad for lunch.

But to the heading of this thread. While walking around I saw these very familiar "little" fish. On asking what they were, I was told barrumundi cod (I knew that, just wanted it confirmed) ................... now my understanding is that barramundi cod are protected but what was even worse, not one of them would have been longer than 8 or 9 inches.

Are they being farmed somewhere ? ? ? ? The young lady behind the counter didnt have a clue.


Derek

[scuttlebutt]

I know there's been a lot of research on Barramundi Cod for aquaculture so wouldn't be surprised if they're now being farmed

[nonibbles]

So far as I know they are totally protected only within the jurisdiction of the GBRMPA so if they were caught outside the marine park and didn't travel through the park at all then my understanding is there's no possession or take ruling. But where else does one get them in order to supply the Sydney fish market?

[Cammy]

i saw a god size one at a petshop before, are they aloud to do that?

[Stuie]

They are certainly being farmed in places like Hong Kong so maybe imported? As for only protected in the GBRMP I'd be careful. They are protected under the Coral Reef Fin Fish Management plan and this is from DPI Queensland. So they are protected in all Queensland waters. Not sure if they are protected in W.A. or N.T. so maybe they are from other states.

[dfox]

Im not up with regulations in states other then QLD, but were they a product of australia derek? There not the type of fish that is usually caught in any numbers and if there were a number of them and they were quite small it might be a logical guess that there a farmed product or imported.
For a commercial fisherman to catch and sell a protected, undersize coral reef fin fish just wouldnt make sense. The fine would be huge in this case ...foxy

[dfox]

Heres a pic of one for those that arent familiar with a barra cod... (taken before they became protected) ...foxy

[Derek Bullock]

The young girl that was at the stand didnt really understand my aussie accent and either didnt understand or didnt want to so I didnt find out if they were Australian or not.

There were certainly a lot there, I mean thousands of the little buggers. But like I said .......... 8 or 9 inches long isnt a very big fish.

If they are breeding them using aquaculture just imagine what they could do with stocking some of the better reefs. Or is that asking to much or expecting to much.


Derek

[hungry6]

Once upon a time they were the No1 eating fish in the water, I remember seeing the for over $500/kgs in HK, prolly why they were fished so hard.

[Matthias]

They do breed them for aquariums so most prob breed them for eating too. They wouldn't take them off the reefs and sell them at the Sydney fish markets.

Pete.

[4x4frog]

They do breed them for aquariums so most prob breed them for eating too. They wouldn't take them off the reefs and sell them at the Sydney fish markets.

Pete.
There is no way to respond or comment inthis thread without being branded a racist.
The language barrier defence should carry an on the spot fine of $50,000 IMHO.
Bring in the Aussie test ASAP I say.

Had a fish tank at a place I worked years ago...the Barry-cod was the fiercest fish I ever saw in the tank.....It was about 12cm in length and anything up to 11.5cm was fair game, fiesty little chap. The boss even fed him huntsman spiders and grasshoppers on a few occasions, he'd take them down and beat the living sh*t out of them on a rock until they stopped squirming and then swallow them:o

[kc]

In the lead-up to the rule changes in July 2004 they were caught and held in large numbers by the trout boats for the aquaculture industry. At least 1 operator just South of Bowen has bred them successfully, in large numbers and they are going to market. I was of the understanding that all were being exported but some may make it onto the Australian market....would be bloody dear but!!

More likely these are imported fish. No interstate restrictions apply. i.e. if a fish is "legal" at point of capture then it can be transported and sold interstate, regardless of that states rules (some commonwealth free trade law).

This is why it is "legal" to buy "undersized" mud crabs and red emperor which have been caught in the NT, in Qld.

The other doozey is why were Barra Cod protected in the first place??? Lets not even go there....just keeping my blood pressure in check as it is.

KC

[Derek Bullock]

They were $34.00 a kilo.


Derek

[Lucky_Phill]

Your thought on re-stocking reefs Derek is good, but I could see problems in relation to diease and other " aquaculture bred ' organisms being released into the system along with the fish stock.

As with the recent prawn importation problems, I see urgent action is needed to restrict certain imports and create " professional & open ' management or our seafood import industry.

There are Ausfishers here that have seen first hand the conditions in which the " Bassa " ( for instance ) are bred and kept overseas. Let's not kid ourselves, the quality control that is supposed to exist to protect our own marine industries, is contained within a brown paper envelope and made available to those that have the power but not the moral standing to accept the facts that what they are doing is dangerous.

I believe that an Australian wide ( federal law ) has to be implemented to not only have a level playing field, but accurate identification, bi-lateral size and bag limits and most of all a quality control on ALL retail and wholesale outlets. This will provide a good platform from which the fishing public and the fish buying public can be sure that our industry is safe and sustainable.

I also believe that as a whole, the fishermen of Australia do care about the furture of fishing here, they do the right thing but get depressed and annoyed when they seee things like Derek has described. ( farmed b/cod or not ). These fish that are for sale, Derek, should be accurately identified with scientific name, common name, marketing name and place of origin. It's not that hard to do this, and again, instills a faith into the buying public.

Phill

btw, Foxy............ nice tan !!!!

[devocean]

They certainly do farm them at a place just south of Bowen. The place use to be called seafood online but now I think it is called golden something fisheries and is located on Saltwater Creek. I have been there myself and have hug tubs full of barra cod. They are also trialing queensland groper and coral trout. They are pretty much the same as barra but take a lot longer to grow.

A lot of the aquarium fish are bred or imported. Since they have been protected they are like flies where I am and always see at least a dozen good ones diving. Bit of a shame to not allowed to take any at all as they were not in danger of overfishing but protected for thier beauty.