Barramundi Farm Brings New Jobs

[jaybee]

Premier & Trade, Peter Beattie

22/09/03
Innisfail, Monday: Premier Peter Beattie inspected Australia's largest barramundi farm today, saying it represented three key ingredients of Smart State development - innovation, sustainability and value-adding.

"And when they are harnessed in a venture like this they mean jobs, jobs, jobs," said Mr Beattie in congratulating owner Cris Phillips on the development.

"I am advised that Barramundi Waters has expanded from employing three people to 30 jobs and when current expansion plans are complete, up to 10 more jobs will be created here.

"And there are spin-offs for local businesses that create more jobs, such as maintenance, engineering, transport and electricians.

"I'm pleased that my Government has been able to contribute a little to this success.

"Under the Regional Business Development Scheme we gave a grant of $7,500 for business planning in January 2000.

"And in June this year the Department of State Development approved a grant of $41,500 under the Queensland Industry Development Scheme to undertake strategic planning to double its production within three years.

"It will also help in researching export markets.

"This investment by the State Government delivers on my promise in the 2001 election campaign that we would put money into the local aquaculture industry.

"Export prospects beckon, particularly in the United States and, with support from my government's Department of State Development, Cris and his team are investigating market prospects there with an immediate annual sales target of at least 600 tonnes a year.

"And with one in four jobs in regional Queensland dependent on exports, I welcome the company's plans and congratulate it for its initiative and drive."

In the year to June 30, 2003, Barramundi Waters produced 1,000 tonnes of fish - almost half of Australia's total farmed barramundi production of 2,200 tonnes.

Mr Beattie said that he had originally been invited to officially open the farm's new $2 million processing plant, the most advanced in Australia.

"But, unfortunately, the rapid expansion of Barramundi Waters has triggered the need for new licences to be obtained and that process has a way to go yet," said Mr Beattie.

"And, obviously, we can't have an official opening before that process takes its full, proper and independent course.

"While the ponds and aquaculture facilities are all validly licensed, the recent expansion of the fish processing facility triggered the threshold for requiring a licence under the Environmental Protection Act.

"But I wanted to come to see what you have achieved because it fits in so well with my government's Smart State strategies."

Contact: Steve Bishop 07 3224 4500

[Kerry]

Yes the jobs are smart but something I simply can't handle is tasteless farmed barra. Tasteless aquaculture anything for that matter.

Cheers, Kerry.

[jaybee]

Same here Kerry, have tried farmed prawns YUK, even the artificial colour puts me off, and i am yet to taste a firm farmed prawn with the good old sea taste. Have eaten barra from the salt but not from the water. Looks like the farm will get around its licensing okay though, so my thoughts are if Mr Beattie thinks like this with Barra Farming, how is he going to think, if sea cages get their foot in the door with trials, and they make a go with it. I can handle breed on land and release though, still produces employment.
cheers
joe.

[Jewmaster]

Saltwater Barra, Freshwater Barra, farmed Barra, Its what you put on it. If you eat your fish as is, no extra ingredients you notice a difference, but it all comes down to preperation.

The big one up here is that Saltwater barra taste better than freshwater barra, (i don't agree). I only fish the fresh. If i was to prepare a saltwater fillet and a fresh water fillet, you wouldn;t know the difference. I feel the same about farmed barra, You may need to change your cooking technique to get a beter result, but white meat is white meat, it ALL tastes like NOTHING. Thats why I don;t eat fish anymore, it has no taste to me, All i was ever tasting was the chilli or herbs and spices.

This is why people can buy NILE PERCH and sell it to you as barra and we all walk away believing it was barra. The guy in Darwin only got caught when fisheries noticed he sold BARRA on the menu, but never bought any fromthe suppliers.

[Kerry]

The old taste issue exists with many things even the humble chicken. Much like good old KFC it's all in the "herbs and spices" and as they say anybody who has only ever eaten KFC (X million americans probably) wouldn't know what real chicken actually tasted like, the taste is apparently breed out of the chickens so as not to taint the "special gerbs and spices"

If one has to put anything on fish to make it taste then it's certainly time to stop eating fish, waste of time, money and confusing the palate.

Cheers, Kerry.

[vertico]

have you tried fish from his farm ?
i had a few boxes a while ago and every piece was delicious!
Iam definately no fan of the usual flavour of farmed seafood
but this tasted just like the real thing and all i did was crumb / batter it !
Barramundi Waters produce some top tasting fish