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Wool farmer finds himself bigger fish to fry
28 Oct 2003
Karara grazier Lyndon Batterham, a producer of fine wools on his Carbean property, decided to diversify into aquaculture due to uncertainty about the wool market. He now produces silver perch, which he sells to Sydney and Melbourne fish markets. He says he researched the idea for 14 months before embarking on the venture.
The drought held him back somewhat, as he was forced to halve his flock and to agist cattle; it also prevented him from restocking his ponds. He should have put in 20,000 fingerlings earlier in 2003.
After the fish are taken from the ponds they are put in tanks for at least a week and purged in filtered water. The fish end up weighing about 1.5kg that fetch about $11 on southern markets. The flesh tastes just like schnapper, Mr Batterham says.
It's no longer to possible to bank on a consistent income stream from wool because of the weather pattern over the last few years, Mr Batterham says. As a third-generation grazier, he never anticipated having to "enter the fish trade".
The Courier-Mail, 28/10/03, page 6.
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