March 26, 2007: Shark sliced on dock

[zippyt]

It tastes just like chicken. of the sea !!!

[DucksNuts]

Cant they leave anything in the bloody ocean????

I did use the F word, but remember that I might get a cyber slapping.

Oh and I dont mean to be offensive with the *they*, it just annoys me all the trouble we have with illegal whaling etc...its a pet peeve and whale sharks are gorgeous.

I agree.

[Chinditz]

Was there, at any time in the proceedings a Chinese guy standing on the back of the boat mumbling:" We need a bigger boat!, Chief!, Chief!, We NEED a bigger boat!".

Even as a big seafood (and Tofu) fan, I really cannot imagine myself eating either shark or turtle, I just basically like both species to much

(Now dolphins is another story, after swimming with the A-holes and constantly getting crapped/pissed on by a dominant male who had a lot of fun sticking his nose in my groin with considerable force, I always make sure I buy dolphin-UN-friendly tuna whenever I can)

[Aliantha]

I can't believe anyone would kill a whale shark. This is just disgusting to me although I know others don't have a problem with it.

Whale sharks are common in our northern waters. They wouldn't be killed by Australian fishermen because there's no market for that sort of flesh.

One of the most common sorts of shark flesh found in fish and chip shops here is Mako. I don't like shark meat which is usually sold as 'flake'. I wouldn't say the texture is like that or swordfish, although it's probably better for pregnant women than swordfish.

[bluesdave]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I don't like shark meat which is usually sold as 'flake'.

That's an old myth that unfortunately is still common here. All species of shark are threatened, and few are caught (deliberately), commercially these days. I am not saying sharks are not caught in nets, they are. I am saying that the market for fish flesh does not make shark viable (generally), these days.

I have heard (and I cannot cite proof), that very often when we buy fish from the supermarket with a fancy name, it is usually some form of common fish (like Mekong Catfish - that is sold under hundreds of pseudonyms).

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by zippyt

It tastes just like chicken. of the sea !!!

Chicken is fish of the barnyard.

[milkfish]

What do you use as bait to fish for a whale shark? A hook through a single piece of krill?

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by bluesdave

That's an old myth that unfortunately is still common here. All species of shark are threatened, and few are caught (deliberately), commercially these days. I am not saying sharks are not caught in nets, they are. I am saying that the market for fish flesh does not make shark viable (generally), these days.

I have heard (and I cannot cite proof), that very often when we buy fish from the supermarket with a fancy name, it is usually some form of common fish (like Mekong Catfish - that is sold under hundreds of pseudonyms).

Which part of what I said is a myth Dave? Local fish and chip shops in my area still have 'flake' on the menu. I agree that sharks are endangered, particularly the grey nurse. Almost extinct.

That particular catfish is usually labled as bassa and sometimes even nile perch.

[bluesdave]

I have not seen flake in a fish shop in Sydney for probably more than 30 years. I am surprised that they still sell it in Brisbane. Are you sure you are not confusing flake with hake (a fish caught around New Zealand, and often sold as generic fish)?

Today Tonight on Channel 7 last year did a story on fish, and they talked to a marine biologist and also had laboratory tests done, and they named the Mekong Catfish, as one of the most commonly sold fish, and that it was marketed under many names - not only two. They also mentioned other species of fish which are also sold with exotic names.

[Aliantha]

Absolutely positive I'm not confusing it with Hake.

You're right about the catfish. It is sold under many different names. Sometimes even just plain old cod.

You don't believe everything you see on TTN do you Dave? lol They've been caught out a few times for 'making up' stories.

[DucksNuts]

Still Flake down here, I have seen Hake on the menu

[chrisinhouston]

All this banter about Flake, I had to get to the bottom of it.

Flake (fish)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Flake is a term used in Australia to indicate the flesh of any of several species of small shark, particularly Gummy shark. The term probably arose in the late 1920s when the large-scale commercial shark fishery off the coast of Victoria was established. (Until this time, shark was generally an incidental catch rather than a targeted species.)

Flake rapidly became popular. It has a mild flavour, a soft texture that nevertheless remains well-defined after cooking, and a clean white appearance. These qualities, combined with the ready supply and a low price, saw flake become by far the most common type of fish to be served in Australian fish and chip shops.

Flake remains popular, but it is no longer especially cheap. By the mid to late years of the 20th century, Australia's growing population and more efficient harvesting methods had led to an alarming decline in shark stocks, and the fishery is now regulated in the hope of preventing any further deterioration.

Although the primary shark species sold as flake is the gummy shark, there are several others, as listed below.

Gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus
School shark, Galeorhinus galeus
Elephant fish, Callorhinchus milii
Whiskery shark, Furgaleus macki
Saw shark (any of several Pristiophorus species)
Various dog sharks (Family Squalidae)
During the late 1960s it became apparent that larger individuals of several shark species were contaminated with high levels of heavy metals, particularly mercury, and a public outcry eventually led to a ban on the sale of large school sharks in 1972, which remained in effect until 1985.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flake_%28fish%29"

[xoxoxoBruce]

The mercury went away after 1985?
Or people didn't care after 1985?

[bluesdave]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The mercury went away after 1985?
Or people didn't care after 1985?

No we care. In fact the NSW state government has banned eating fish caught in Sydney Harbour for the last few years, due to heavy metal and dioxin contamination.

Chris, thanks for the definition of flake, but I think we (down here), already know that (as Aliantha pointed out). It seems that flake is still sold in Brisbane and Melbourne, and it might well be sold in parts of Sydney (it is a very large place), but as I said previously, I have not seen it for sale in my local area for many years. The reason I asked Aliantha if she was confusing flake with hake, was that many people used to confuse the two - it was a common error, but since shark has gone off the menu in Sydney, and hake seems to have too, for that matter, the confusion has dissipated somewhat.