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Ref:714/03 |
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united kingdom
- May 8, 2003 |
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View from the farm: fish
business is much harder than it looks |
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SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Copyright 2003 The Liverpool Daily
Post and Echo Ltd
Daily Post (Liverpool)] May 8, 2003
'THOU shall have a fishy on a little dishy.....'
Yes,it's fish for tea tonight, the ones that are not
big enough to sell (again!). Regular fish suppers are
an inevitable consequence of running a fish farm, I
suppose.
When the fish arrive here in form of eggs, they hatch
and become small fry. We have sold many this size to
Greece, as they can grow quicker in a warmer climate.
Just think, if you order fish in a restaurant in
Greece, it might have come from Wales!
This week, we've been grading the turbot. Moving fish
from one tank to another as quickly as possible
requires manpower, fitness and a certain dexterity -
running from one tank to the other clutching slippery
fish on a wet floor is quite an art in itself.
The process begins by sending a reluctant volunteer -
Anthony - into a large fish tank in swim wear and
trainers. Thousands of fish frantically circle his
feet and legs whilst they get used to the stranger
who's suddenly stepped into their world.
Once they become accustomed to him and settle down,
the water level is lowered and the fish can be seen
clearly in the water.
Everything is now ready for the whistle, buckets,
nets, scales, book and pen. 'Go, go, go!' The command
is given and flapping, splashing fish are frantically
netted by Anthony ready for sorting.
The fish jump, wiggle and slither through your hands
as they are graded. They're quite safe to handle as
they have no teeth, (that's why I offered to help -
turbot sucks its food, and fingers too). Nevertheless,
this is not a job for someone who hates the smell of
fish.
The bigger fish are weighed one by one and placed in
the buckets ready to be transferred to the breeding
tanks, which are located at the furthest end of the
fish farm. So with buckets in hand, you have to sprint
across the slimy floor with all the finesse and grace
of It's A Knockout contestants.
Back in the tank, Anthony is soaking wet and catching
the fish gets even more difficult as they sense what
is happening around them.
Still growing, the middle -sized turbot are moved
swiftly into a fresh, clean tank which gives them more
space to develop. Time is money and we need to sell
them as quickly as possible to restaurants and shops.
By now, everyone is drenched and trainers are
squelching. The smaller fish are weighed and moved on
to temporary tank while Anthony cleans their old home.
Exactly as you would vacuum your own home, he uses a
pipe to suck the crumbs from the base of the tank.
Farming fish requires the same skills as farming
cattle and sheep; they need to be fed, mucked out,
graded and treated individually.
I now know my favourite fish by name.
There's Black Beauty, the dark - coloured fish in the
breeding tank, Snow White, who lives in the small
tank, Snowflake and Pot Black, to name only a few.
Two of the leftover small fish will be on my plate
tonight with five white rolls and a glass of wine.
Remind you of a certain parable? I wish it would
happen here.
An enjoyable day's work over, we can now enjoy the
fruits of our labours. And delicious they were too:
Welsh fish from the farm and not from Kwik Save - it
makes all the difference.
Pwllheli mother-of-four Nia Parry is the current NFU
Cymru/Nat West Woman Farmer of the Year. Married to
Arthur, they grow flax crops and run a fish farm,
holiday lets and pony trekking ventures. |
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