BARRAMUNDI
Species Name: Lates calcarifer
Common Name: Barramundi
Where Found in the Wild:
This great fish is found in the rivers, estuaries and inshore waters of our coastline north of Maryborough in SE Queensland. They are more common in the warmer waters from Townsville North across the top end of Northern Australia. They penetrate upstream into the freshwater reaches of rivers and move down into the saline estuaries in late summer to spawn.
Description of Species as a Gourmet Product:
Barramundi has always been a highly regarded table fish in northern Australia. It has superb eating quality.
Banjo Patterson even wrote a poem about it.
Barramundi produces large white boneless fillets with excellent flaking texture and full flavoured flesh that are excellent for a wide range of cooking styles and presentation options.
Barramundi should be well cooked to bring out the best in the texture and flavour. This is unlike salmon which is often served undercooked. This is a message the barramundi industry still needs to explain to many professional chefs who are still learning about the species.
Barramundi both farmed and wild caught often has a full flavour that and reflects seasonal conditions and the water it is living in. A lot of the farmed fish is sold as plate fish, cooked and served whole. As filets, Barramundi produces wonderful traditional fish and chips, will steam and grill and hold its texture. It works well in classical European cuisine and the full flavour works superbly in tropical cuisines including Vietnamese, Thai and Indian and with chilli/lime flavours.
Unfortunately, the technology has been taken overseas and a lot of Barramundi is now grown in Asia and imported as frozen filets. However new labelling laws require country of origin to be shown so looked for “fresh farmed Australian” labelling in the fish counters. How is it Farmed
Barramundi farming began in the mid 1980’s with some innovative farmers in north Queensland who domesticated the species and learnt how best to grow them.
Barramundi in the wild can live in either fresh water or salt and this is also reflected in how it is farmed. It is grown mainly in ponds, either fresh water or salt pumped from the sea or estuaries, mainly on the coast at various sites throughout Northern Australia. It can grow in sea cages but not much is produced that way yet.
As it can grow indoors in fresh water intensive recirculation systems quite a lot of Barramundi is now produced in the cool southern states.
Barramundi producer Marty Phillips with one that did not get away
How much is produced:
The industry is close to achieving the 4000t per annum mark.
Where is it sold:
Mainly through the central market system with wholesalers in larger towns and cities. Some is sold to supermarkets and some direct to the restaurant trade.
Who Produced the Product Being Eaten and where is the Farm:
Marty Phillips from PEJO Enterprises produced this fish. His farm, shown below, is situated on the Moresby River. This is a small tidal river just south of Innisfail in North Queensland
Marty Phillip’s Farm near Innisfail
For further information:
Marty Phillips
Ph: 0408835447
Australian Barramundi Farmers Association
Graham Dalton
Ph:0409631292