type of fish not what you asked for! I hate that!

[EDManual]

In the last few years, I have come across some fish and chip shops, but mainly RSL clubs, golf, Bowls and Leagues clubs selling fish they pass off as a different type, like Flathead, Gummy Shark, Barramundi, squid rings, scallops.

I fish lots, and love eating nice fish, and it annoys me no end!

I have had a few apologies, extra meals etc, but I wish they couldnt do it at all!

At a local Golf club (no names) they had a big board saying "Gummy Shark", I ordered that (I love fresh Gummy shark!), and it wasnt even any type of flake, not even ray! Had a fair freindly chat to the waiter and chef, who in the end showed me that they buy boxes of fish with the names "gummy shark" or "flathead" for a cheap prices, knowing full well it is not what is in there! They say 95% of people dont notice! But yes, a few fishos like me do! But thats not their market. Was interesting to get real info! They wouldnt get in trouble as even if some inspector came round, they can show that in fact it was them that is being cheated!! Good trick!

In Eden on the NSW south coast at a club, would you believe they dont even sell real flathead! Suspected imported Argentinian "flathead". The imported "flathead" is even cut into the shape of our good old "flathead tails" we all know and love!
At a Thai shop in Geelong, suspect BASA instead of Barramundi! Its covered in sauce so who would notice! (they used to use reall barra!) Wont admit it though!

And who doesnt hate that mashed up white sponge often used instead of real calamari!

I was just in at Safeway and they are selling "Flathead". Now its actually imported Argentinian "flathead" and says so in small writing.

Also listened to a wholesale Fish Market manager admit that they call "Fresh" fish "fresh" for up to 2 weeks!

Hard to buy good fish, especially when cooked it seems! (at cheaper establishments)

[XP6]

Sign of the times... sad but true

[meatbag]

I want to know how many fancy names there are for shark...

But yes, if you know your fish, it sucks not getting what you paid for. I am rather picky at the palces I order fish from. RSLs, bowlos, small pubs, country towns hundreds of Kms to the ocean - Not a chance.

[vanman_75]

Get yourself a boat and get out and catch your own
I know what ya mean though , and other than fish and chip stores , up nq you generally get what you ask for as its on display , quite obvious and you pick ya piece .what alarms me is not so much that its imported , but that like has been on here recently .the fact we don't look after or protect our farmers , industries.
Side note saw mud crab at Coles for 45 a kilo , I know what these blokes get paid , and it ain't nothing like that ....anyways I'm putting the pots in tomorrow makes the excuses to go fishing much easier ( to the boss ) with them prices .

Tight lines !

[I reckon]

Name the shop if your that confident the dodgy ****ers.

or it is tough titties find out for yourselfs?

[2011G6E]

Been going on for years mate...shark has been used as any number of fish for decades...sometimes they're honest enough to label it "flake" but other times it's anything from Cod to Flathead to Barra. A good guide is if the size of the fillet you get is way bigger than you would expect from the fish you ordered...whiting fillets and flathead should be long and not real thick or wide, but I've seen a few suspiciously large lumps of thick fish fillets labelled as flathead in places over the years...

Good place in Bundaberg is Grunskies by the river...it's part of the fish markets and has great seafood and a nice view over the Burnett River. Our daughter took us there the other night and it was amazing.

[Trevor 57]

I worked on shark boats out of San Remo in my early days, flake is school shark or gummy shark, what ever you want to call it

Hake is generally sting-ray.

I can also tell the difference, and it does **** you off, I know that in clubs & pubs that the fish will generally be some generic stuff, but what you pay for is what you get.

Unless (and there are no gaurentees here) you are by sea at a fishing port then all fish is frozen. My son is a chef.

[Neale]

it is pretty poor, its like getting mutton when you pay for lamb

[Peuty]

First world problems?

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by Peuty

First world problems?

understand you take peuty, and agree to anextent. However, at is annoying knowing that you are not getting what youve paid for. Its like ordering beef steak and being brought out dog.

[Jastel]

Remember this when you vote!!

There will only be imported rubbish soon, and as for catch your own if the greenies get their way we wont even be able to do that.

[Dr Jekkyl]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Remember this when you vote!!

There will only be imported rubbish soon, and as for catch your own if the greenies get their way we wont even be able to do that.

Source?

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by Dr Jekkyl

Source?

Newspapers, TV, radio, going to the marina and seeing NO fishing boats where there used to be hundreds, walking around town and being mugged by greenies who want you to sign petitions to lock up the reef, going to the reef and not being allowed to fish there (or restricted fishing) by GBRMPA and the topic of this thread - people being sold rubbish as Aussie fish.

[Maka]

Originally Posted by Peuty

First world problems?

Im inclined to agree with you Peuty,the more advanced the country the more advanced the corruption! Only joking, but when business starts to do that stuff (creative fraud) and the gov dont, wont or cant do anything about it, whats it say about this country? Have ya seen how ridiculous food labelling laws are in this country (olive oil,orange juice,made in oz etc)? It makes you wonder wtf is going on man- i think i know, but thats for another thread .



cheers,Maka

[EDManual]

to many people, a fish is a fish, not to others.

problem is we are being cheated, and its substitution not with local product, but with overseas imports of sometimes such rubbish as Basa (which NO ONE should eat!, if you dont know, its actually a cat fish grown in fish farms in the Mekong river in Vietnam, which is one of the most poluted river in the world)

[MITCHAY]

I was actually talking somewhat about this yesterday funnily enough in that I could only tell one species from the other only before they are gutted and filleted but then again I don't eat as much as I would like to.

[ILLaViTaR]

I find it annoying how the bastards who own the restuarant are ripping people off whom they're are probably far richer than, the greedy rich..

Seeing as they're aware it's blatant negligence, even if they deny it they're advertising it as something it isn't, despite the labeling/loophole/whatever you want to call it they still have a duty to know what they are selling to their customers.

PM me the name of the restuarant and i'll call the ACCC tomorrow (well tuesday), nothing more despicable greedy trash ripping off honest people who make less than them.

[BPXR6T]

Yep, been ripped off before. I cook seafood myself and buy a whole fish where possible. Someone above mentioned seafood and safeway. Steer clear. I bought a couple of squid tubes a few weeks back and it was so far passed off its not funny.

[aussiblue]

Fish substitution is illegal in most states (perhaps all - I have not checked)and the Australian fishing industry is usually very keen to see the law enforced as they often lose [dollars and reputation] when cheap imported fish is substituted for more expensive local products.

For NSW see http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/..._takeaways.pdf

Seafood substitution is when one species of fish, crustacean or shellfish is sold as another species. Food businesses must ensure the food they sell is safe and properly labelled. Describing food incorrectly is an offence under the Food Act 2003 (NSW).
snip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seafood substituition and misleading conduct can result
in penalty notices of up to $1320. Repeat or serious
offences can result in court imposed fines of up to
$55,000 for individuals and $275,000 for corporations.

Phone the helpline on 1300 552 406 next time you catch someone out.

[aussiblue]

Seems like seafood substitution may be legal in Victoria though as they appear to be relying on a voluntary participation code: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fisheries/...d-brand-scheme - The Fish Names and Brand Scheme.

[Pedro]

Nothing new about this guys.
Many years ago I managed a seafood wholesale and retail business for a friend while he took a break for a few weeks.
Nearly all the different fish types sold on the cooked battered fish retail section was cuts from big slabs of frozen Halibut imported from UK. It was just cut in the different shapes.
Once large eyed fish like snapper age more than a few days, their eyes sink, so a scale from a larger fish is pushed in under the eye and makes the eye stand out again like a fresh fish and as the stock ages, its just left in brine in the cool room overnight to eliminate slime.
Many restaurants boil Sydney rock cod, add flavouring, and sell it as Lobster in mornay or thermidor dishes. You're hard pressed to tell the difference.
Its all been going on for donkeys years ... and will continue to do so.

[Riksta]

I've heard stories of stingray "wings" (the big side flappy things) being cut out with cookie cutter type things and sold as "calamari rings".

Which is why if I was squid, I'll buy the hollowed out squid tubes and cut them up myself.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by Riksta

I've heard stories of stingray "wings" (the big side flappy things) being cut out with cookie cutter type things and sold as "calamari rings".

Which is why if I was squid, I'll buy the hollowed out squid tubes and cut them up myself.

i always thought they were rubber bands in breadcrumbs...

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

i always thought they were rubber bands in breadcrumbs...

Crumbed shark sphincter.

This labelling is typical of big business (yes Coles and Safeway, I mean you). I want what I expect to get, simple but it just gets harder and harder, partcularly when the cheap stuff is rubbish and the nomal stuff goes up in price. The proliferation of 'home brand' goods will mean it will get harder and harder to identify where your food comes from.

In regard to fish, I don't buy imported and in particular I don't buy Basa from Africa. I recall reading some time ago that the planes fly in guns and fly out with this (awful, bland, tasteless) fish.

I don't need my fish to fly before I eat, a nonsensical use of the planet's resources.

And that goes for Chinese garlic and Peruvian asparagus too.

[chamb0]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

In regard to fish, I don't buy imported and in particular I don't buy Basa from Africa. I recall reading some time ago that the planes fly in guns and fly out with this (awful, bland, tasteless) fish.

I don't need my fish to fly before I eat, a nonsensical use of the planet's resources.

Not sure if this was what you read about - I saw a doco called 'Darwin's Nightmare' (2004) about the introduced Nile Perch coming from Tanzania's Lake Victoria... European arms dealers fly in old soviet Ilyushins, often full of munitions from Western countries which fuel conflict through the region, and fly out the processed fillets to European supermarkets. The impoverished locals can't afford the high-priced fillets and have to subsist on the rotting carcass waste from the factories (the Nile Perch has wiped out pretty much everything else living in the lake). Total social, economic and environmental shambles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin%27s_Nightmare

[Ezz]

Unfortunately, unless you go to a decent restaurant on the coast line somewhere, you'll never quite get the real thing... or usually if you do it is not fresh but frozen over days if not weeks.

It does suck, I know what you mean. I often go fishing with my brother in-law down Sorrento in Vic, so we'll often go and get the good stuff our selves and only go to restaurants that we 'know' serve up the good stuff.

[Spudz27]

It is never an issue for me. I hate fish, but love shark and nobody ever lists shark on a menu that I have seen, only the local fish and chip shop. Weird thing is not woolies nor coles have had shark for sale in 6 months now maybe longer and same for the local fish shop, yet they say it is locally caught fish. Plenty of sharks around here, christ my ex boss brought me in some gummy (spelling) steaks he caught just 1k out.

[DoreSlamR]

I used to work at an establishment that was mere metres from a river full of barramundi, on their menu was of course barramundi, only problem was it was imported Nile perch.

I used to inform customers of that fact if they ever ordered it lol

[Pepscobra]

All you whingers... complain that things are too expensive and dont buy local produce, then complain that there are cheap imports. Same can be said for the local car industry. Aussies want everything for nothing. We all seem to forget that there are millions of people in the world prepared to work alot harder than you for less. Remember this next time you complain about your job... soon you may not have one.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

All you whingers... complain that things are too expensive and dont buy local produce, then complain that there are cheap imports. Same can be said for the local car industry. Aussies want everything for nothing. We all seem to forget that there are millions of people in the world prepared to work alot harder than you for less. Remember this next time you complain about your job... soon you may not have one.

I think you've missed the point here.

It's not about paying too much for local produce it's about getting what you paid for.

It's disingenuous.