[Jim Eddie]

Anyone see this programme on Sunday evening , HFW was looking at difeferent ways of how we catch fish commercially , handlining to beam trawling and also fish farming.

The section on Rainbow farming was really interesting , the fish farm took the water from a watrecress farm , becuase the watercress needs pure water with no chemicals it was rich in insect life , the fish farm do not supplement the feeding with pellets , the fish were jsu grown on on the feeding of the natural insects , apparently because of this they tasted superb. Seemed like an ecologically friendly way to do things 

 

Jim     

[Mike Barrio]

Bummer ..... I missed that

Cheers
Mike

[Jim Eddie]

Knowing Sky its bound to be repeated around 700 times 

If anyone has not sent the letter to Santa yet http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3513378/-/Product.html?searchstring=river+cottage+gone+fishing&searchsource=0

 

Jim

[Rob Brownfield]

It wasn't a place near Dorking in Sussex was it? I remember seeing a watercress farm and trout farm together on a river near to there. The cress was grown in vast concrete shallow ponds with irrigation channels between, then the water appeared to flow into what looked like stew ponds, then back into the river. Cant remember the name of the river.

Really supprised that they can farm trout on naturals only, would not have thought there was enough sustained food throught the year. Cracking way to do it if possible!

[Hamish Young]

Indeed a 'friendly' way to rear the fish, but they must take a long time to reach a reasonable size 
Not neccessarily a bad thing that though 

[Jim Eddie]

Rob

The fish farm was in Wiltshire

"Should you buy organic?
There is debate about whether fish can ever really be classified as organic due to the nature of their environment, but if you want assurances that the trout have space to swim in and aren’t given antibiotics, and that their food doesn’t contain anything artificial, organic is the way to go. Non-organic feed contains a colouring so that the flesh turns deep pink, organic fish have much paler flesh – within the trade they are known as “white” trout, says Tony Free of Purely Organic, based at Deverill Trout Farm in Wiltshire. Free farms rainbow trout, and some brown trout, in pristine waters that flow through his neighbour’s organic watercress farm. On its way through the watercress beds, it collects freshwater shrimps, which the trout eat, giving a pale pinkness to their flesh. “It’s much more natural to eat this than pellets containing carbohydrates,” says Free. He believes it helps give the fish profound flavour, redolent of trout as it would have been 50 years ago, when the population was mainly wild."

 

Jim

[zeolite]

The series is a year old I think and i saw a discussion on the River Cottage forum which said that the fish farm is now kaput. Which is a bit of a shame. There are some enviromental issues about watercress farms too. They are very water hungry in areas with limited surface water and depleted aquifers.
The devil is always in the detail eh?

[Paul Rankine]

Hi,
   

areas with limited surface water and depleted aquifers.

Due to abstraction by private water companies seeking financial profit.

The devil is always in the detail eh?

 

[Bigtrout]

Due to abstraction by private water companies seeking financial profit.

While the motives of fish farmers and water cress producers are purely altruistic. 

[zeolite]

I think I agree with you Paul 
Water should never be in the hands of private companies in my opinion. In the case of the south of england where surface water is scarce and rainfall is low, regional and inter-regional plans are the most efficient way to go and profits shouldn't be taken out of the system. we are very lucky in this country to have laws that prevent the selling off of water resources. I only wish we could have done the same to the oil and other mineral resources.

[Paul Rankine]

I only wish we could have done the same to the oil and other mineral resources.

Amen.