Fish: what’s with all the Hoki?

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#2948612 31-Jul-2022 16:50

Eva888: Hoki is sustainable and affordably priced for a family……

Having witnessed the “Hoki Fleet” trawling off the west coast of the South Island on multiple occasions I am amazed that the fishery survives at all, let alone being ‘sustainable’. Dozens of massive trawlers whose nets have purses the size of a house targeting that particular species. It is obviously a fast breeding fish.

Only a fraction of the Hoki caught ever sees landfall in NZ, let alone appears in our shops. The majority is processed on factory ships and then transported directly to Asia. To come back as surimi, fish bites and crab sticks.

While I’m not as apocryphal as some others here, there are smarter ways for us to earn a crust from our resources than shipping raw product away.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Rikkitic

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#2948685 31-Jul-2022 19:35

Geektastic:

Perhaps we should have less humans on the planet and stop trying to save every one of them from everything? Just a thought.

Soylent Green is another thought.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Lias

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#2948706 31-Jul-2022 22:05

Eva888: It has hardly any smell at all, unlike oilier fish.

Weirdly enough I'm not a huge hoki fan because I find it a bland and boring fish. Give me something with a strong fishy smell/flavour any day.

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Wellingtondave

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#2948713 31-Jul-2022 23:13

More profitable fish ---> export.

The rest ----> Domestic.

Fin.

MikeAqua

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#2948828 1-Aug-2022 10:09

Lias:

Eva888: It has hardly any smell at all, unlike oilier fish.

Weirdly enough I'm not a huge hoki fan because I find it a bland and boring fish. Give me something with a strong fishy smell/flavour any day.

Kahawai is the fish for you then!

Or mackerel.

Mike

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#2948831 1-Aug-2022 10:17

I very much like Hoki along with Tarakihi. Don't trust me I also like Kahawai.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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MikeAqua

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#2948834 1-Aug-2022 10:36

Wellingtondave:

More profitable fish ---> export.

The rest ----> Domestic.

Most Hoki is exported. A lot of it as 'shatter pack', which is a lower margin but higher volume product. Some of the more profitable species are sold domestically in reasonable volume - Snapper, Tarakihi, Gurnard etc.

Ling and roughy are some of the higher value finfish species that are exported. You do see roughy increasingly on the domestic market, but kiwis have never been that into ling.

It's hard to get good NZ category data, because most fresh fish isn't sold with a barcode.

My advice: Find a good fishmonger, learn about some of the less glamorous species that still taste good (e.g. warehou, flounder) and cost less

Mike

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#2948847 1-Aug-2022 10:42

MikeAqua:

Find a good fishmonger, learn about some of the less glamorous species that still taste good (e.g. warehou, flounder) and cost less

Flounder are awesome. Dipped in flour both sides and lightly fried absolutely a great and light cooked breakfast.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

MikeAqua

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#2948851 1-Aug-2022 10:49

MikeB4:

I very much like Hoki along with Tarakihi. Don't trust me I also like Kahawai.

Kahawai is really good in a curry, and fantastic as ceviche/kokonda. When it's bled after catching and eaten very fresh, it actually makes good sashimi or poke.

Mike

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#2948860 1-Aug-2022 11:04

Dingbatt:
Having witnessed the “Hoki Fleet” trawling off the west coast of the South Island on multiple occasions I am amazed that the fishery survives at all, let alone being ‘sustainable’. Dozens of massive trawlers whose nets have purses the size of a house targeting that particular species. It is obviously a fast breeding fish.

I would have thought that the Hoki grounds were so far offshore that the only witnesses would either be flying or on one of the boats.

Dingbatt

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#2948867 1-Aug-2022 11:26

Bung:
I would have thought that the Hoki grounds were so far offshore that the only witnesses would either be flying or on one of the boats.

Yes.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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MikeAqua

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#2948868 1-Aug-2022 11:28

Dingbatt:

Eva888: Hoki is sustainable and affordably priced for a family……

Having witnessed the “Hoki Fleet” trawling off the west coast of the South Island on multiple occasions I am amazed that the fishery survives at all, let alone being ‘sustainable’. Dozens of massive trawlers whose nets have purses the size of a house targeting that particular species. It is obviously a fast breeding fish.

Only a fraction of the Hoki caught ever sees landfall in NZ, let alone appears in our shops. The majority is processed on factory ships and then transported directly to Asia. To come back as surimi, fish bites and crab sticks.

While I’m not as apocryphal as some others here, there are smarter ways for us to earn a crust from our resources than shipping raw product away.

The Hoki fishery is MSc certified which is the global standard for independent certification of a fishery. It's a very well managed fishery with a known and safe stock size. When the annual catch need to be reduced or increased it is, without fuss, because it's a commercial only fishery. The West Coast season is short and there is lot of fishing effort in narrow window.

The reality is, if you could find enough people in NZ to process the Hoki harvest into added value products, you couldn't sell it all domestically and NZ can't compete internationally in the product formats Hoki works in. We just don't have the scale. The seasonality of the main species would also be an issue.

It doesn't help when retailer don't support the NZ industry either Uncertainty for Sealord as contract slashed by Foodstuffs North Island | Stuff.co.nz

Mike

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#2948869 1-Aug-2022 11:30

Dingbatt:

Yes.

People follow the boats hoping to catch the big Southern Bluefish Tuna they attract.

Mike

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#2949030 1-Aug-2022 12:20

Rikkitic:

Soylent Green is another thought.

I had to google this. I thought would be a plant based protein. Looks like an interesting movie, I'll have to watch it sometime.

Mike

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#2949403 1-Aug-2022 17:30

MikeAqua:
Wellingtondave:

More profitable fish ---> export.

The rest ----> Domestic.

Most Hoki is exported. A lot of it as 'shatter pack', which is a lower margin but higher volume product. Some of the more profitable species are sold domestically in reasonable volume - Snapper, Tarakihi, Gurnard etc.

Ling and roughy are some of the higher value finfish species that are exported. You do see roughy increasingly on the domestic market, but kiwis have never been that into ling.

It's hard to get good NZ category data, because most fresh fish isn't sold with a barcode.

My advice: Find a good fishmonger, learn about some of the less glamorous species that still taste good (e.g. warehou, flounder) and cost less

There are several common flounder like fish in Europe. Plaice and Dover Sole for example. Both very nice eating.

Flounder can be a bit muddy tasting here, I read once and it rather put me off.

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