SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

We saw this story a couple of days ago and the mouth watering thought of pigeon stew tonight reminded us of the other big foodie opportunity that we are missing.

Sanfords Eric Barratt says its time to lift the commercial ban on trout fishing and he is very right.

As New Zealanders we have this odd habit of doing little to protect our native species but bend over backward in the name of sport to protect introduced species like trout, salmon, Canada geese and mallard ducks. We find it strange that we are not able to harvest the young mallard flappers in the creek bordering our property in what would be a targeted sustained way. We would be happy to register the numbers we caught as well. Similar to fish management. If you know what level of harvest the population can sustain then there should be no restrictions on how you harvest them.

We digress , back to Trout farming - its simply logical and smart and will provide us with another export stream. The fears of disease are unfounded. Wild trout would still be the domain of the gun nuts so there would be no harm to that "industry" either. And it would also see trout served as a dish at top restaurants. And sea run trout will be much better eating than their cousins in muddy creeks. There is often very little difference in the taste of a sea run trout and salmon.

This is not a new idea from Eric, he has been pushing this issue for years and rightly so. He is a big fish in the NZ aquaculture industry and he, better than most, knows the potential for fish farming in this country and the need for diversification of that industry.

Now Fish and Game will squeal at anyone having a right over their precious domain. But it is time for some creative thinking, some bold actions and a change to some legislation that could provide the country with another high end high value niche export.

SEALORDS - YIP - DUMB AND DUMBER.

The battery on our blackberry is flat today and it relates to the Sealords story. The general consensus in the New Zealand Seafood Industry is that Sealords have made a dumb decision to sell down the whanaunui pounamu - the aquaculture rights to marine farms in Marlborough to Sanfords. One very well placed industry source put it this way.

The golden rules are: -

1) If Eric Barratt or Peter Talley want something - you shouldn't be selling.

2) If Eric buys it - you sold too cheap.

Spot on.

SILLY SHORT-SIGHTED DOPEY DECISION

The announcement that Sealords has sold some marine farms to Sanfords shows that Sanfords is more cunning than a cunning thing and that there are few visionaries left in the brain depleted ranks of Maori Fisheries interests.

It is extremely shortsighted. It is akin to Maori selling land and land in the marine market is a finite resource that will only grow in value.


We had always hoped that one day Maori would own Sanfords. It was the vision of many. This latest decision signposts the future and signals that Maori can look forward to serfdom again in our lifetime.
It also appears that Sealords may be a little cash strapped.It is time for Iwi to ask some hard questions of the performance of Sealords and Aotearoa Fisheries.

FINALLY

We blogged on the Ministry of Fisheries 2030 strategic fisheries report a few weeks ago. Today the Herald reports that we maybe only months away from seeing a consent granted for a huge Aquaculture farm in the Coromandel.

That is fantastic news, Aquaculture has enormous potential to earn millions of dollars in export.

AQUACULTURE POISED TO HELP TURN THE TIDE ON JOB LOSSES

Now this is the type of story we want to see more of. Proactive councils untangling red tape all in the name of creating an environment for businesses to expand. It is this type of central and local government action that will really grow the economy. The Waikato Times says that The three councils involved in the Coromandel are looking at the ways they can facilitiate the growth of Aquaculture in their areas.

Councils up and down the country should be looking to replicate what is happening in the Coromandel. Aqauculture is a seriously under deveoped industry and both central and local governments should do all they can to promote its rapid growth.

• The Coromandel Peninsula mussel industry employs 400 people.
• Existing mussel farms have waited for 13 years to expand.
• Cutting red tape could allow it to expand to employ another 600 people by 2014.
• Mussel production could rise from 22,000 tonnes to 60,000 making the industry worth up to $122million.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE - BLUFFIES RULE

There is no other oyster in the world that compares to the Bluff Oyster ( ostrea chilensis). The same species flourishes in many part of the country including the Marlborough Sounds. Nelson Bays and the Chathams but none have the taste of Bluffies simply because of what they eat. Its like comparing corn feed and grass feed beef - Salt marsh lamb and grass fed lamb. Wild forest fed venison and grass fed venison. The beds of Foveaux Strait are full of minerals only found in the south. Its what gives the meaty southern oyster its extraordinary taste - some say it delivers a taste that speaks of endless ocean depths. Its a taste that lingers leaving a hint of of sea on your tongue long after the oyster is swallowed.
So we discover today on scanning that venerable organ of Truth in the South the Southland Times that Bluff Oysters cannot be branded Bluff oysters. There is a pretender on the horizon - Cuisine Magazine has reported that Tio Point Oyster Co ( Tio being the Maori name for oysters) is farming them from the cold waters of Tory Channel. Good on Bruce Hearn. They will be good, they may even be excellent but they will not have that big bollocksy metallic tang of the Bluffies. And there lies the answer - legally it may be a stretch to use the label Bluff for the oysters but in the north they are regularly referred to as " Bluffies" so there is the solution. So all you oyster barons dip into your long pockets , sell a BMW or a horse for two and invest in a decent advertising campaign to cement the Bluffies as the only true oysters - based on the maxim - " You Are What You Eat"
We have written stories in the past about how some sifty oyster barons , when the Bluffies were out of season, imported the inferior Nelson dredge oysters and washed them in water from Foveaux Strait to try and imitate the Bluffie taste.Various restaurants we have visited over the years have tried to pass off the Nelson oysters as Bluffies and we have sent them back and in every case had a red faced apology from the chef ( in some cases some pretty bloody well known chefs).We have run, been involved in and presided over a fair few taste tests during the last two decades and in each case the Bluffies were easily recognisable over the Nelson oysters.
So Southland, you need to get moving an secure the name in one form or another to cement the reputation and recognition of one of New Zealands great culinary icons.