Australian Politics Forum - Barramundi industry on point of collapse.

Lord Herbert

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Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
May 17^th, 2018 at 3:42pm

Quote:

"Commercial barramundi fishermen say their industry has all but collapsed in Australia, after the price for wild-caught fish plummeted this season.
Key points:

Barramundi prices have crashed by up to 40 per cent this season
But while anglers are getting as low as $14 per kilogram, retailers have maintained prices close to $40 per kilogram.
The poor returns could force the closure of the NT industry, one angler said

It has meant some have had to pull up the anchor and call it quits as the cost to go out fishing is just too high.

Fisherman Craig Van Lawick said that scarier still is not just the woeful pricing, but the fact demand seems to have dried up completely"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-17/barramundi-industry-collapses-in-nt-fisher...

I've had Barramundi twice only and felt it didn't deserve its reputation as a super seafood to put on the table.

These fellows should now go into exporting their catches to the swank restaurants of America and Europe.

There's no public demand here in Australia because the extra price is not justified in terms of comparison with the taste of all the other cheaper fishes found in the shops.

Why pay extra for its reputation that doesn't jig with the actual experience of eating it.

The humble Atlantic Cod slowly simmered in a pan of milk-and-butter and then sprinkled over with mint or other is just as satisfying experience.

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« Last Edit: May 17^th, 2018 at 3:48pm by Lord Herbert »

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miketrees

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #1 - May 17^th, 2018 at 3:47pm

From 14 to 40 dollars per kilo.

There is a big part of the problem.

Like so many other primary industries.

The fishermen are giving the supermarkets the pointy end of the business ,,, where the retail $ is exchanged.

My advice to fishermen is the same as I have said to fruitgrowers for years.

Catch (grow) less, sell more.

Spend some time on direct marketing spend less time catching.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #2 - May 17^th, 2018 at 3:53pm

miketrees wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 3:47pm:

From 14 to 40 dollars per kilo.

There is a big part of the problem.

Like so many other primary industries.

The fishermen are giving the supermarkets the pointy end of the business ,,, where the retail $ is exchanged.

My advice to fishermen is the same as I have said to fruitgrowers for years.

Catch (grow) less, sell more.

Spend some time on direct marketing spend less time catching.

Absolutely 100% correct.

We've just had the banks and investment companies exposed as shameless criminals by the Banking Royal Commission, and it's now time a Royal Commission was set up to investigate the likes of Coles and Woolies for their appalling treatment of the poor bastards who supply their vegetables, fruits, and milk at slave prices.

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miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #3 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:10pm Internet and weekend markets, should be destroying the rip off supermarkets
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Mr Hammer Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 25212 Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #4 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:15pm Personally I dislike the wild harvesting of barramundi. They string nets over the mouths of big rivers and catch fish heading upriver to spawn. I feel sorry for peoples livelihoods collapsing but farming is the way to go. We've already stuffed our fish stocks up enough.
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Grappler Truth Teller Feller Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 80194 Proud pre-1850's NO Voter Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #5 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:25pm Farming = Barratuesday - just as good, and I don't actually like Barra anyway. Catching fish on their way to spawn is a dopey way to do it since it chops the stocks.... oh, well...
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Lord Herbert

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #6 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:29pm

Mr Hammer wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:15pm:

Personally I dislike the wild harvesting of barramundi. They string nets over the mouths of big rivers and catch fish heading upriver to spawn. I feel sorry for peoples livelihoods collapsing but farming is the way to go. We've already stuffed our fish stocks up enough.

The South East Asians will now probably jump at the chance of breeding Barramundi in their open-sewer rivers like the Mekong to sell it at budget prices to the Australian public.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and so too do the SE Asians abhor ignoring a business opportunity when it presents itself.

Nile Perch is one of my favourites, and tinned Atlantic sardines bedded in tomato sauce. Jus' sayin'.

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« Last Edit: May 17^th, 2018 at 4:42pm by Lord Herbert »

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Mr Hammer

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #7 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:33pm

Lord Herbert wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:29pm:

Mr Hammer wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:15pm:

Personally I dislike the wild harvesting of barramundi. They string nets over the mouths of big rivers and catch fish heading upriver to spawn. I feel sorry for peoples livelihoods collapsing but farming is the way to go. We've already stuffed our fish stocks up enough.

The South East Asians will now probably jump at the chance of breeding Barramundi in their open-sewer rivers like the Mekong to sell it at budget prices to the Australian public.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and so too do the SE Asian abhor ignoring a business opportunity when it presents itself.

We buy their barramundi already Herb. Have done for years. What's happened for years is that most of the best seafood goes to Japan and China etc. You never see good seafood in Woolworths. I don't miss good saltwater barra because I've never got it.

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Lord Herbert

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #8 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:45pm

Mr Hammer wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:33pm:

We buy their barramundi already Herb. Have done for years. What's happened for years is that most of the best seafood goes to Japan and China etc. You never see good seafood in Woolworths. I don't miss good saltwater barra because I've never got it.

Jesus. Imported.

When I buy fish I always check where it comes from, and I always buy Produce of Australia if the fish I want is from these waters.

It's the same with eggs ~ I utterly refuse to buy anything other than genuinely Free Range chickens.

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Mr Hammer

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #9 - May 17^th, 2018 at 4:53pm

Lord Herbert wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:45pm:

Mr Hammer wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:33pm:

We buy their barramundi already Herb. Have done for years. What's happened for years is that most of the best seafood goes to Japan and China etc. You never see good seafood in Woolworths. I don't miss good saltwater barra because I've never got it.

Jesus. Imported.

When I buy fish I always check where it comes from, and I always buy Produce of Australia if the fish I want is from these waters.

It's the same with eggs ~ I utterly refuse to buy anything other than genuinely Free Range chickens.

That's if they label it. I do loads of fishing. I go at least once or twice a fortnight. That's the only time I get good quality fish that I didn't have to bust my bank to get. I caught a couple of jewish last week and ate them over the next few days and they were absolutely beautiful. It's no use whinging that they can't sell their fish when they haven't really concentrated on the domestic market. For years they've sent it offshore or asked too much. Most people out of money restrictions have had to buy this inferior fish and this sector has become dominant.

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miketrees Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6488 Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #10 - May 17^th, 2018 at 5:52pm $14 a kilo is not too much
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Lord Herbert

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #11 - May 17^th, 2018 at 5:52pm

Mr Hammer wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 4:53pm:

That's if they label it. I do loads of fishing. I go at least once or twice a fortnight. That's the only time I get good quality fish that I didn't have to bust my bank to get. I caught a couple of jewish last week and ate them over the next few days and they were absolutely beautiful. It's no use whinging that they can't sell their fish when they haven't really concentrated on the domestic market. For years they've sent it offshore or asked too much. Most people out of money restrictions have had to buy this inferior fish and this sector has become dominant.

I'm happy to pay top dollar for local fish.

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Lord Herbert Gold Member Offline Posts: 34441 Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #12 - May 17^th, 2018 at 5:54pm miketrees wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 5:52pm: $14 a kilo is not too much That equates to just over a kilo of Rump Steak.
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BigOl64 Gold Member Offline Posts: 14438 Townsville QLD Gender:	Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse. Reply #13 - May 17^th, 2018 at 6:23pm Barra is a very over rated fish, and like shark is only really eaten when caught and never purchased. Not by anyone north of the Cap.
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freediver

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Re: Barramundi industry on point of collapse.
Reply #14 - May 17^th, 2018 at 6:54pm

miketrees wrote on May 17^th, 2018 at 3:47pm:

From 14 to 40 dollars per kilo.

There is a big part of the problem.

Like so many other primary industries.

The fishermen are giving the supermarkets the pointy end of the business ,,, where the retail $ is exchanged.

My advice to fishermen is the same as I have said to fruitgrowers for years.

Catch (grow) less, sell more.

Spend some time on direct marketing spend less time catching.

Sounds normal to me. With fruit it is more like a factor of 3, and it won't kill anyone if you take more than 3 days to sell it or leave it out of the fridge.

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