Barramundi

Barra, Silver barramundi, Giant perch, Asian seabass, Seabass, Giant seabass, White seabass, Twofin seabass, Blind seabass, Two finned seabass, Giant palmer, Narifish, Kokop putih, Bekti apahap, Palakapon, Nokogirihata

Akame

Barramundi or Asian sea bass is an estuarine species belonging to the perch family. Barramundi is native to the Indo-Pacific region and its range extends north as far as Taiwan, south to the eastern Australian coast, east to Papua New Guinea, and as far west as the Persian Gulf. Barramundi is caught commercially and is produced by aquaculture. Prized sport fish in northern Australia and are capable of reaching up to six and a half feet in length, can live for twenty years, weighing in excess of 50 kg. Barramundi are catadromous fish (fish that migrate from fresh water to salt water to spawn or reproduce) and move between fresh and saltwater during the various stages of their life cycle. Mature barramundi live in estuaries and associated coastal waters or in the lower reaches of rivers. Barramundi prefer slow-moving water in rivers, creeks, swamps and estuaries, but are adaptable and may often be found around near shore islands and reefs. Barramundi are well suited to aquaculture as they are hardy, fast-growing and universally regarded as a fine table fish.

Farmed barramundi diets contain fishmeal and fish oil that are sourced from wild fisheries. In closed recirculating systems in the U.S. the overall ratio of wild fish used as feed to farmed fish produced is 0.90, making U.S. farmers net producers of fish protein. This relatively low ratio is mainly attributed to their use of fisheries by-products. Feed is produced for these farms are derived from relatively sustainable sources including Icelandic capelin and Peruvian anchovy fisheries and by products from the eastern Canadian herring roe fishery. U.S. closed recirculating systems are considered a low conservation concern.

Escapes of farmed barramundi from closed recirculating systems are highly unlikely due to a lack of connection to local waters, the use of multi-staged barriers that prevent escapes, and the presence of unsuitable temperatures and habitat in the surrounding environment, which would prevent survival of any escaped fish. Closed recirculating barramundi farms thus rank as a low conservation concern for the risk of escaped fish criterion.

Closed containment systems in the U.S. carry extremely low risks of transferring and amplifying natural diseases and parasites to wild fish, as they are able to disinfect their wastewater with the use of ozonation. Closed recirculating barramundi farms rank as a low conservation concern.

The high re-use of water, low discharges, and effective effluent treatment in closed recirculating systems result in a very low chance of potential pollution and habitat impacts from farming barramundi in the U.S. This factor is a low conservation concern.

As currently practiced, closed system barramundi farming in the United States is well regulated and management can be deemed highly effective. It therefore ranks as a low
conservation concern.

Is this barramundi farmed in the US?

Farmed barramundi from the US ranks as a “Best Choice”
Farmed barramundi from Australia is ranked as “Some Concerns”
Farmed barramundi from Taiwan and SE Asia that is raised in open net pens is ranked as “Avoid”

No health advisory at this time

No.