While I am not famliar with Australian mullet, one problem I hear from other 
areas is that mullet are not very selective about where they feed, and often 
they end up around ports and marinas where their food contains traces of 
diesel fuel which ends up in the flesh. This could presumably be avoided 
with farmed mullet or with mullet caught in cleaner areas.

It is nice to know tht there is still somewhere in the world where fish is 
cheap. In Portugal, which I understand is the second country in the world in 
per capita fish consumption, the price of fish is going up rapidly and 
consumption is likely to fall drastically. Mullet is for sale here and is 
fairly cheap, but with increasing industrialisation of its coastal zone 
habitat it seems to be falling into disfavour due to problems with the 
taste. Still, a butterfly cut of mullet with olive oil and garlic is really 
good!

In terms of marketing, it is important to keep in mind that peple tend to be 
very conservative about the fish they eat and it is hard to get them to 
change. Despite the huge appetite for fish in Portugal, many fish prized in 
other countries are disdained here. The Portuguese generally do not like 
fresh cod or pickled herring, and they prefer their bacalhau (salt cod) to 
be be wet and heavily salted rather than the sun-dried light salt esteemed 
in Newfoundland. Fish like eel and lamprey are totally unmrketable in some 
countries but are incredibly desirable and expensive in others.

Bill Silvert


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Walter Ivantsoff" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 4:05 AM
Subject: Mullet fishery in NSW


What Bob fails to say is that Australians do not like mullet and most will 
not eat it, stating that it tastes muddy and unpleasant which is not 
necessarily true. By world standars, fish is relatively cheap in Australia, 
consequently mullet would not compete  with flathead, various dories, 
barramundi, sea perch, bream, snapper, whiting and many other fine fish one 
can buy at the fish markets, the list  is long.

I suspect that predilection for some fish rather than other is the reason 
mullet fishery does not take on. . Perhaps commercial fishermen could could 
find a way to start  an export business to those countries where mullet is 
prized.

Walter