Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yes I agree, my concerns could actually be completely perceived and thats why I was hoping to find something solid in the way of evidence. I would love a food that could produce such a natural product its completely indistinguishable in every way. Agree with everything you said about the Japanese consumer and what drives them, they could likely not be swayed by any amount of science and marketing, and possibly me as well.

These are the parameters I am trying to work with. Farmed "free range" fish.

Feeding the developing world? I have lived in the PH in the past, seen fisherman trying to catch tilapia in the rice fields, I know it and they dont have the luxury to discuss the fatty acid profile of their next meal...
Its not lost on me.

Here is a fish that has basically 'free-ranged' since it was 30mm long. It has been living in my unfiltered and non-aerated yabby pond for the last 27months, consuming whatever came its way in terms of natural flora and fauna. The yabby population of this tank, after initially soaring, appears to have shrunk somewhat in recent times.

With the benefit of hindsight I can now see that the yabby numbers continued to increase until the dozen or so SPs in their tank grew sufficiently large to start putting a dent in their population. I believe the fish shown below can be considered to be a decent size for its age and it has eaten very little commercial fish feed in the last two years. This wasn't my plan, but when the fish long ago stopped rising to any pellets thrown to them I assumed that the yabbies and passing bird traffic had accounted for them all. I continued to feed the yabbies with an occasional handful of cracked lupins, which I assume has helped to sustain the fish through consumption of the yabbies.

I mention this because my Silver Perch that have been raised on commercial fish feed and are the same vintage as this one are not as large. Important to note is that natural tucker is 'on tap' for the depicted fish and its siblings whereas my pellet fed fish don't necessarily get fed optimally (in commercial feed terms) and have access to a more limited natural diet.

Disclaimer: This is far from a controlled experiment, such as you are suggesting Sapphire-dan, and I know it.

Wouldn't call that very average conditions PLJ
And you mean to say you didn't turn the FT water over every hour; that's like breaking the rules.

Nice looking fish.

Thats an amazing looking fish and exactly what I would like to achieve.

The problem is how do you produce a lot of them

The reason animals are farmed rather than hunted is because it is more efficient. As demand increases how do we produce more food to satisfy demand?

Also how do we do it sustainably?

My operation is much more extensive than intensive so, whilst not necessarily achieving economies of scale, it achieves economies through other means. For example, I don't have any losses through lack of oxygenation or high ammonia/nitrites (not in these 'free-range' tanks, at least - different story in my Rainbow Trout tank) and feed costs are way down. Also, the infrastructure was paid for by a previous owner!

Not criticising just observing.

One of the things I like about AP is the low water use. Growing fish extensively uses WAY less water than even water efficient forms of growing land based animal protein but so many areas don't have enough water to grow fish that way.

It all comes down to how cheap* a lunch I can get. Extensive systems still require inputs but how do you drive those inputs on an extensive basis. Much easier to manage inputs on an intensive basis but then that comes with its own problems as well all know.

* as distinct from free