Wet Fish

Wet fishing, netting and long lining, was another diversification Richard took on to keep the boats and crews going year round, instead of being seasonal.

Splashzone initially targeted the fish and chip shop fish, Moki and Warehou although they have enough quota of most other salable species that come up on the line or in the net.

The Warehou story:

The team learned that the Warehou migrated from the South up both sides of the North Island, as far as East Cape and New Plymouth, twice a year. They also learned that the foreign deep sea trawlers over the years had nearly depleted the fish stock, but that it was now in recovery. It took three years and a process of elimination over the vast ocean off the Wairarapa coast before they found a small area that fishes well twice a year.

Wet fish caught by Splashzone:

Blue Cod A plump fish which produces good fillets, but it has a very low oil content. It can be served battered, crumbed, pan-fried or baked.
Bluenose Flesh has medium to thick moist flakes and is white when cooked. Bluenose has good levels of Omega-3. Can be cooked using most methods.
Groper Has firm white flesh with few bones. It has heavy flakes when cooked, makes good steaks and smokes well.
Lemonfish Have firm, white and boneless flesh with a low oil content. Fillets do not flake easily. Lemonfish is popular in fish and chip shops.
Moki Fillets are firm, hold their shape and are a greyish-white when cooked. They are suitable for baking, poaching, smoking, steaming and frying.
Tarakihi Have medium to firm white flesh, suitable for most cooking methods.
Warehou Have medium-textured flesh with a medium to low oil content and are best cooked by moist heat methods. They are ideal in strong-flavoured dishes such as a curry.