As motivational celebrity Oprah Winfrey’s confirmed favorite fish, barramundi already has a lot going for it. According to panelists speaking at this year’s Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC), hosted by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) in San Francisco, California, the species is set to earn even more than just Oprah’s stamp of approval in the coming years.
If prominent producer Australis is to be believed, then “barramundi is positioned to be the biggest premium whitefish over the next decade.” Foodservice operators representing businesses of various sizes are flocking toward the species, which also happens to be a chef favorite.
One panelist at the GSMC breakout session summed up barramundi’s appeal as such: “It tastes good, it’s a very good eating fish, especially frozen. It’s also raised in salt water, and a lot of times saltwater-raised farmed fish tastes better.”
Despite its immense promise, challenges remain in the way of barramundi sealing its destiny as a must-have premium whitefish product, the breakout session’s speakers concluded.
“This is a species that the data doesn’t really capture the conversation that we’ve been having, and the past couple of years it’s most been anecdotal” said another panelist. “We always talk about barramundi as a contender, how there are a lot of things going for barramundi. That excitement wanes with issues of supply and quality, and the price and availability is really limited to the white tablecloth setting.”
