Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Anyone buy & eat Basa....

You might want to think again.... http://vimeo.com/11817894

Wow ! thats really sad

I've always tried to avoid seafood imported from asia. Having no need to buy fish at all makes this easier than it used to be.

On the other hand, when eating out how do you know where the fish came from?

This is hardly a balanced documentary, more a biased, sensationalist piece of anti fish import propaganda!

The following is an extract from the Seafood Importers Association of Australasia Inc website at http://www.seafoodimporters.com.au/news.item.php?pid=62


What Are The Growing Conditions For Basa?

Basa are grown in one of the most suitable environments for fish farming found anywhere in the world. The Mekong River (from which drains much of the Himalayan snow melt) has one of the largest consistent flows of fresh, clean water on the planet. Australian environmental scientists working for the Mekong River Commission, which monitors water quality at over 50 sites, confirm that testing over the past 15 years shows no serious contamination of the river - partly because there is little industry in its catchment, and partly because of its large flow. It is one of the cleanest of the world's large rivers. Claims that the Mekong River is seriously contaminated have been overwhelmingly refuted by those Australian scientists working in the region.

How Safe Is Basa?

Behind Vietnam's farmed fish export trade is a modern, multi-billion dollar industry that applies the highest levels of global science and technology in the entire chain of its safe food production - essential to enable it to compete in highly regulated and fastidious western markets. The processing factories that produce fish for export to Australia are at the cutting edge of modern technology and are accredited to the highest levels of international food safety.

In addition, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) service rigorously tests all arriving shipments of fish for a range of potential contaminants, prior to release. This multi-tier food safety system ensures consumers have no need to be concerned about product quality or food safety - and this is frequently confirmed by Australia's highest food safety authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

I suspect the truth lays somewhere between the two accounts.

Probably true...

I don't care if either are true the fact that it tastes horrible is good enough for me to not eat it

And that's just plain true...

Do you think so? I use basa fillets in my fish curries and find the flavour and texture totally acceptable for that purpose. I certainly don't intend to fillet my rainbow trout and use them in this way - that would be sacrilege. At less than $6/kg it is bloody good value, I reckon.

Try Silver Perch PLJ... it takes up flavours really well...

I try to eat food from my own country wherever possible... I always bypass things grown elsewhere, especially things like the Chinese garlic, Chinese grown peas and snowpeas, Garlic from Mexico, oranges from the US etc..

Support local growers and businesses....

Ok I gotta say I have never once seen a "basa" fish in Omaha NE, so I think I am safe there. However I am not a big fan of cat fish in general. I worked for a fish restaurant and had some great fish and always think that filter fish just taste like poop, because they really are what they eat. Those fish Eek I don't wanna know what they taste like.

As I said only yesterday in my system thread, I can't wait to taste my Silver Perch, and since they are growing like the clappers right now it might be sooner than I planned! I have heard that they are very popular for use in Asian dishes so I suppose that means that they take up flavours well, as you say.

I was going to say that it is just a shame that Silver Perch can't be taken from fingerlings to plate size in a season, like Rainbow Trout, but I have recently heard about a bloke that is doing just that. I will have to find out more.

EB, I agree with you in principle on the buy local issue, and do just that with regard fruit and vegies. I can't come at paying $30-40/kg for locally sourced wild caught fish that I used to enjoy catching myself - back in the days when I wasn't self employed and had spare time for such pursuits.

i live 2 km from the Mekong and can assure you it is not clean ...and its not the water that is the only concern its what is fed to the fish ..... as for the authorities they would not be the first nor the last to receive a little under the table incentive money to relax the laws ... its how business is done in SE Asia from the bottom to the top ...grow local , eat local

I recently saw a post by a "guru" ... that reckoned his Silver Perch that were stocked in mid March (2012)... would be plate size by the next few months....

Mind you... the same "guru" reportedly grows huge cabbbage in 4 weeks....

Sorry PLJ.... it just aint true.... unless you buy them near plate size to begin with

I heard another one with great pride announce that he could do two crops of trout in a season . I just don't know of anyone that can do that unless they are starting with larger fish than fingerlings. Pure magic.