This is a guest blog entry by Todd Crowley from Blue Harvest
Barramundi is a great table fish but unfortunately its reputation has been damaged by product inconsistency.
The reality when buying Barramundi is that not all Barramundi are the same, far from it.
Barramundi can be:

• Fresh versus Frozen
• Wild caught versus Farmed
• Imported versus Australian
• Grown in Saltwater, Brackish or Freshwater
• Farmed fish can be grown in ponds, sea cages or recirculating systems
• Stress during harvest
• Post Harvest Handling – spiked, bleed, ice slurry etc
• When we consider all of the above it is not surprising that we are giving consumers an inconsistent experience and damaging this iconic Australian fish’s reputation.

Wild Caught Versus Farmed
It is a natural assumption that wild caught fish are best, the reality is that more and more of Australia’s top chefs are using farmed species. The reason for this is consistency: product, supply and price. Properly handled a wild caught Barramundi can be a premium quality fish, but unfortunately inconsistent handling post capture can lead to variable quality. For example wild Barramundi caught in gill nets will start to deteriorate immediately in the warm tropical waters where as farmed fish properly handled are harvested and immediately placed in an ice slurry bringing the fishes core temperature down to 0°C to 1°C.

Imported Versus Australian
Imported Barramundi can be fresh or frozen, farmed or wild caught etc
It is too simplistic to say that Australian Barramundi are better than imported. As with fish produced in Australia, the quality of imported fish is variable from very high quality fish to fish with very questionable quality. Blue Harvest’s recommendation is that buyers seek out more information about the fish they are buying, if this information is not readily available buy elsewhere.

Fish grown in saltwater, brackish water or freshwater
As a rule, fish grown in saltwater are lighter and more silvery coloured than Barramundi grown in fresh water.
Unless purged carefully, fish grown in fresh or brackish water can have a muddy smell and taste.

Farming method
Barramundi can be grown in sea cages, ponds or recirculating systems. The important thing from a quality perspective is that whatever the growing method fish remain active, providing a firm texture.

Effects of stress during harvest on flesh quality
Stress caused during the harvest process results in the production of lactic acid in the muscle lowering muscle pH. The overall result is an exhausted fish with acidic flesh.

Benefits of reducing stress during harvest on flesh quality include:

• Reduced gaping
• Delayed rigor onset
• Reduced blood spotting
• Improved colour and appearance
• Increased shelf life
• Reduced bruising
• Improved muscle texture & consistency
• Effects of post harvest handling on flesh quality
• 'iki jimi' (spike to the brain) delays onset of spoilage
• Bleeding fish reduces incidence of blood spots or bruising on flesh and delays onset of spoilage
• Ice slurry to quickly reduce fishes core temperature to 0°C to 1°C will slow spoilage and improve shelf life
• The trick to buying consistent high Barramundi is to know more about the fish you are buying – this equally applies to whether you are a wholesaler, retailer, chef or consumer.