At Blue Reef, we exist to source the freshest, most delicious wild-caught Australian Coral Trout to share with the world. From the pristine waters of the Great Barrier Reef to your plate, the stories and journeys we take to make this a reality are worth telling.
That’s why we invest our time and resources into ensuring Blue Reef Coral Trout arrives at its destination as fresh as the moment we caught it.
From the fishermen who carefully reel each fish in by hand, to reaching the world’s best restaurants with our proprietary live transport system, Livepac, the details matter when you’re talking about the finest eating fish.
THE Journey
01
Caught by Hand
One man, one hook, one fish. Our journey starts in the remote and bountiful sub-tropical waters of the Coral Sea off Australia’s east coast. Here, Blue Reef enjoys near-exclusive access to sustainably managed designated fisheries where armed with little more than a reel and their expert knowledge of these seas, our small flotilla of vessels harvest fish without any unwanted catch or risk of damage to the pristine marine environment.
02
Live and Healthy
The key to sourcing the highest quality coral trout is maintaining freshness from ocean to plate. Once the fish are harvested, they’re carefully placed in onboard tanks circulating with fresh and untarnished reef water to maintain a stable environment for our catch. This means they’re kept in flawless, stressless condition for the entire journey back to harbour.
03
Safe Harbour
Depending on which fishing ground our boats have been harvesting from, they will head back to port anywhere along a stretch of coastline from Cooktown in North Queensland to Mackay in Central Queensland. Once safely docked at harbour, our coral trout are transferred from the boat to temperature-controlled, oxygen-rich water tanks, ready for the next leg of their journey to Cairns.
04
Handled with Care
Next stop, our state-of-the-art holding and sorting facility in Cairns. Here, the catch is sorted, graded, and placed in large tanks where their health and comfort is constantly monitored by our on-site marine biologist. Our eighteen large tanks are home for the Coral Trout until they’re ready to be dispatched around the world.
05
Humane Treatment
Respect for our Coral Trout is a non-negotiable. Treating our fish humanely also means it’s staying as fresh as possible until it reaches you. We use the traditional Japanese Iki Jime method along with modern technology to maintain a premium condition and quality for our customers.
06
A Journey Well-Travelled
From our oceans to your plate, our temperature-controlled export facility is the last step of the journey for our Coral Trout before they’re shared with the world. Dispatched live or as fresh and chilled whole premium fish, every step to get to this point has been taken with care to ensure quality and freshness. Our reliable supply chain network means we can export fresh to almost anywhere on Earth while maintaining full traceability of your order.
THE REEF
From the Great Barrier Reef to Your Plate
Bountiful, beautiful, and breathtaking. The Great Barrier Reef has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981 — its place in the pantheon of natural wonders is a great source of pride for all Australians.
While a large part of the Reef is very rightfully permanently protected, we’re fortunate to have been granted licences to harvest coral trout by handline and one hook in accordance with a strict quota system in areas where fishing is permitted. With only a limited catch each year, this is designed to protect the future of the species and the pristine marine wilderness they rely upon for their ongoing survival.
This means nature, the fishing community, and consumers all win.
faqs
What’s the difference in colours of Coral Trout?
Coral Trout come in a variety of different colours. You’ll see them come in light pinks, browns, greens, oranges and bright reds. The colour of the fish depends on the depth at which it’s caught. Red fish are caught much deeper than any other colour, but they are all the same delicious taste.
Do Coral Trout taste different depending on what colour or size they are?
The short answer is no. It doesn’t matter what colour or size the Coral Trout is, they all taste magnificent and are of exactly the same quality.
What’s the best way to cook Coral Trout?
You can cook your Coral Trout however you wish. But, you should know, with Coral Trout, less is more. Gentle heat is the most suitable, as it retains the moisture and allows the delicate shellfish notes of the fish to shine. It may be tempting to torch, blister or charcoal the skin for effect, but these high heat preparations can give the skin a bitter aftertaste, taking away from the delicate, sweet shellfish flavour.
Where do you export your Coral Trout?
We can export our premium fresh fish to almost anywhere in the world. Contact us to find out more.
How reliable is your source of Coral Trout?
We’re the most reliable source of wild-caught Coral Trout you’ll find in Australia. We buy from dozens of different boats along the Queensland coast and are the largest owner of quota for Coral Trout in Australia.
Contact
Blue Reef
