Murray cod - ethical greed?
- rosemary
- 3 hours ago
- 8 min read
"The stuff of legends" Native Fish Australia
The AFR Weekend edition is my starting point for this but as I have progressed there are so many things to at least point to, that I'm not really sure I'm up to it. But I will give it a go.
Like most Australians we are investors - and the AFR article which is my lead into the world of the Murray cod - is about this man Ross Anderson and his company Murray Cod Australia - or Aquna Murray Cod. He and his fellow Executive director Mathew Ryan founded the company which is now an ASX listed company with major shareholdings from Australian Super and One Investment Group. Every now and then I get mildly interested in small speculative kind of investments and I thought this was interesting, particularly as the AFR was also speculating that this might be a major big thing - although in a couple of years. Besides I thought it would be an interesting investigation for the blog. And it is, although, as I said, I'm not sure I'm really up to it. And yet again I end up with a feeling of you can't win - good intentions don't always lead to good things.
The stuff of legends. Indeed. The largest freshwater fish in the world apparently, the largest recorded specimen being 1.8m long and weighed 113kg, although some think - from fossils that it can get even bigger. A favourite of anglers anyway as this photo shows. Apparently you are allowed to photograph your catch, following strict rules as to how, but very quickly and then you must return your fish to the water. The maximum size you are allowed to keep is 75cm long, and the minimum 55cm. And a maximum of 2 fish a day with a maximum allowance of 4. Seeing that photograph - and there are lots more which are very similar you can see why it is indeed an angler's dream catch:
"The stuff of legends, the Murray cod is represented in practically every pub in South Eastern Australia by photos and mounted examples. Stories abound of titanic struggles with the almost super natural fish." Native Fish Australia
It is also very long lived - generally speaking they think 30-35 years old with the oldest recorded being 48 years, but with many thinking that they may possibly live until 100 or so. The very large and the very old are not however, the best eating.
Before I leave the legendary aspect of this story I should mention the Dreamtime story of the creation of the Murray River and its tributaries:
"Many Murray River groups believed that the wide reaches and bends of the Murray River were created by a giant Murray cod, swimming down the formerly narrow trickle to the sea, while being pursued by a dream-time hero." Native Fish Australia
The full story goes like this:
A huge Murray cod Ponde emerged at the source of the Murray River after a great earth shock or earth tremor and was chased by a great hunter, Ngurunderi and as Ponde thrashed along the channel, it formed the bends, reaches and billabongs of the river with its head and tail.
When the great fish was speared at Lake Alexandrina, the hunter threw pieces of the cod back into the water, naming them for the fish they would become; golden perch, bony bream, silver perch and so on." Fishes of the Murray-Darling Basin
Perhaps I should insert here the fact that not only is this fish large but it is also good eating being fatty and with good tasting flesh. Perhaps Australia's most well-known fish chef, Josh Niland, actually opened a posh fish and chips shop called Charcoal fish in Sydney which exclusively used Murray cod:
"The reason why it's pretty much all Murray cod is because I can cook the whole menu from one single fish. To me, that's sustainability in a nutshell." Josh Niland
Including this Cured Murray cod fat on toast. And that fat - the fish has a lot of fat - is also used elsewhere in the cooking process.
The shop didn't last because of an unsuitable venue he said, but he still uses Murray cod in his other ventures and is a big fan of Aquna Murray Cod on whose website he is featured in a publicity video (interesting) on their website. (Aquna Murray Cod is the product name of Australian Murray Cod.) Below is his Barbecued Murray cod on smoked gremolata with cabbage salad which you can make yourself if you can get hold of some Murray cod. Or you can visit the Aailia restaurant in Sydney where chef Paul Farag will serve you this rather luscious looking Murray cod masgouf. And I'm sure you will find it on other posh restaurant menus elsewhere.
But I digress, although ultimately it is relevant.
Back to the fish itself. Its latin name is Maccullochella peelii - because it's not actually related to the cod I grew up with. It's a different species - I mean it's not a seawater fish, so we should realise that. But like that cod it was - and still is - a threatened species and it has a similar taste I believe. It's a top predator in Australia's river systems although one of the reasons for its almost demise is the presence of the introduced carp into those river systems. The competition for food and habitat and the spread of disease and parasites from the carp has contributed hugely.
Another contributing factor has been the regulation of the flow of the river from dams and such like, and also the removal of debris from floods - particularly large trees from the rivers because:
"They are very territorial, and prefer deep holes in rivers and streams with boulders, fallen trees and other woody debris and banks with overhanging vegetation. ... the most important tool in restoring cod populations to something like their former glory is the appropriate management of the river systems. This is a nettle yet to be fully grasped by government due to the inherent high costs involved." Fishes of Australia
Here in Victoria, Fisheries Victoria (the government) - and possibly similar government bodies elsewhere - are attempting to breed and return to the wild the young fish and have produced an interesting YouTube video called Murray cod production at Snobs Creek which explains a whole lot about the process. Aquna Australia do too on their website - and they also return fingerlings to the wild - 2 million a year - but the Fisheries Victoria video is more detailed. It's part of their overall mission - Target 1 million - More Victorians Fishing More Often - and you surely would want to support such a mission. But then again - 'more Victorians fishing more often' ? - surely not - even if you insist they don't take large fish and that they can only keep a few. And the Native Fish Australia website which has a very interesting and long, but marginally depressing page has this to say about that:
"Unfortunately, excessive recreational fishing pressure has lead to a serious lack of large, mature brood fish in wild populations with an almost total absence of year classes above 50 cm (the minimum legal angling size) throughout its range."
Moreover - according to Native Fish Australia:
"Thus, hatchery breeding and stocking of Murray cod is not the magic answer and will not ensure their long term survival. (Stocking of hatchery bred Murray cod in rivers can actually cause damage, as remnant wild Cod populations with their diverse gene pool are swamped by hordes of hatchery Cod with a narrow gene pool — as little as two parents in a worst case scenario.)"
Like I said, you just can't win can you?
Surely it's not as bad as the commercial overfishing that went on back in the bad old days from the nineteenth century on however?
So do I invest in a company that looks as if it is really trying to do the right thing by using sustainable methods, and returning babies to the wild - or like the salmon industry in Tasmania do they turn out to be wicked people who are out to make big bucks whilst being ecologically destructive?
That comment about the poor gene pool of hatchery bred fish may or may not be true. The Fisheries Victoria people maintained that they got some of their income from selling the eggs they harvested from the wild, to the hatcheries. And the Aquna video said nothing about a breeding program. It seemed to be all about raising fish from eggs to a size at which they could be sold to expensive restaurants all over the world. Ross Anderson the CEO is apparently either right now or soon in Dubai, marketing his product there. Besides 2 million fingerlings per year back in the wild is surely a good thing - well if they are from wild stock I suppose - or is that wild stock itself limited to a very few breeding pairs?
It's all very grey coloured. On the downside - all we are doing with the aquafarming are providing a very expensive fish to the rich of the world. We are not feeding the starving millions. We are making money for the rich - and if I invest and the investment pays up - then that includes me. We are encouraging people to go out and fish an endangered species. On the upside - we seem to be halting the complete extinction of a legendary fish - legendary both as a vital part of Aboriginal heritage, and as a unique creature which is incidentally a delicious feed. Indeed it's greatest qualities, its size, its fighting spirit and its taste - are its own worst enemy. Well maybe the carp are its worst enemy. On the upside too - Aquna and probably others like it are providing work out in the regional areas of Australia and encouraging research and innovation in ways to both preserve our natural world and feed us at the same time. Much of the original research, I should have mentioned came from the CSIRO.
The shares in Australian Murray Cod are down at the moment - way down from their high - which wasn't actually very high - but the AFR seemed to think it was at least worth a look. And ou should but at the low point shouldn't you. But then I might not be here in a few years time, when the real benefits are expected to appear. But then again that's good for the children and the grandchildren.
It was interesting - if you want to know more - there is a mass of very dry but I'm sure very worthy information on Wikipedia but the Native Fish Australia one was rather more interesting - and possibly biased - (a volunteer organisation that is open to anyone who cares about the well-being of Australia's native freshwater fish and the rivers, streams and other waterways that they inhabit.)?
THE FRIDGE
Like the Murray cod you win some and lose some. The kataifi is gone. My drooping spring onions are gone. However there are some leftover strawberries, cream and brioche buns. Oh dear.
YEARS GONE BY
January 12
2025 - Roasting vegetables
2024 - Nothing
2021 - Missing
2020 - Lucky dip - harissa
2017 - Nothing
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