Bart Butson is a third generation fisherman from Port Wakefield, South Australia. Like his grandfather and father before him, Bart fishes with a gill net in shallow inshore waters for scalefish like whiting, garfish, snook and tommy ruff. Bart is an industry leader, not only recognised by various seafood producer awards, but also for the respect he commands from his fellow fisherman and regulators alike. His concern for sustainability of the environment is driven by the desire to see his fishery continue for future generations.
Bart brings us his premium, wild caught, local produce from a 20ft wooden boat – the only technology on board is a GPS unit and a scrapped inboard motor revived by his son-in-law, Shaun.
Dennis Holder and his wife Karen have been involved with the SA Blue crab pot fishery for nearly 30 years starting in Ceduna on the Far West Coast before relocating to Adelaide as part of the experimental crab fishery in 1989. They have continued to build a life and a business with their family of three children and expansion of their crab fishing operations.
Dennis’ state of the art boat, the Silver Spectre, comprises elements of his study as a Nuffield Scholar in the area of green energy in fishing. Karen is the current director of the SA Women’s Industry Network and a partner in the family’s crab fishing business.
Besides being a local Australian Rules Football hero, Justin is a fisher and family man based in Port Wakefield. He is a member of the third generation of Cicolella’s who have fished the area for scalefish. As a youngster, all Justin wanted to be was a fisher when he grew up. He would try and convince his dad to let him skip school to go fishing and now its his turn to have the same battle with his daughter.
Michael fishes from Ardrossan for South Australia’s iconic Snapper. In fact, he is upholding a three-decade long family tradition of sourcing snapper from Ardrossan. As a youngster, Michael loved fishing and was an avid footballer and now when he isn’t in the boat, he spends most of his time with his young son and partner. Living the life we say
Ashley fishes from the York Peninsula for his speciality fish – King George Whiting. He talks about his fish the way that winemakers talk about their vines. He is obsessed with maintaining the extremely high standard of his product and his consumers say that he is doing a perfect job of it. Ashley is a sports enthusiast and was an elite swimmer growing up. His passion for engineering kept him at home whilst his training partners were winning medals at the Las Angeles Olympics in 1984.
Tracy and Glen are a team. They are phenomenal advocates for the protection of the environment they operate in and work tirelessly on new initiatives that help with habitat and species restoration in the Lower Lakes and Coorong. They always treat their visitors to a great experience at their base in Meningie and if you’re really lucky, Tracy might even cook up some of her famous carp strips. Look out for Glen in his token orange jacket and go and say “Hi” before he does.
Mike’s family has been in seafood for over 50 years. His grandfather opened the Marino Rocks Restaurant and supplied it with his own fish. Today, Mike fishes on Kangaroo Island and is a walking South Australian fishing encyclopaedia, having spent his career in several different sectors including lobster, charter boat and marine scale fishing. Look out for him on the north shore fishing from his row boat in Kangaroo Island’s pristine waters.
Craig’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself. He is the SA Seafood Producer of the Year and brings us breathtaking calamari from the Spencer Gulf. He steps in when his mates need help and is a true warrior within our industry. His dedication to his work has been recognised by his peers, regulators and his local community.
As a seventeen year old surfing enthusiast, Hugh moved to the west coast in search of his next wave. He joined the fishing industry over forty years ago and now skippers the Sea Rover targeting ocean jackets. Hugh’s passion for seafood is evident in his products from his fish through to his octopus and vongole. Hugh and his wife Chris are true Coffin Bay locals and slow food heroes.
Justin grew up in Adelaide Hills before moving over to Port Lincoln where he now line fishes for nannygai. He’s established a growing market for his bycatch of underutilised species like wrasse has a reputation for super fresh and high quality fish. Still the record holder for most runs made in the Southern Districts with a huge double century.
Rod has fished forever. Growing up in Semaphore, he has memories of fishing from a young age before going to work in the city as an office clerk. The ocean’s call drew him to Port Wakefield where he has lived and fished for 35 years. His A-frame sign on the highway is now Port Wakefield folklore, directing locals and travellers alike to his fresh caught fish. Snapper and tommy ruff are his favourites.
Adam is a fifth generation fisher – he net fishes for scalefish like silver whiting and gar out of Fisherman Bay and also has a licence for blue swimmer crab. Christy is heavily involved in the running of the family business and plays a vital role in ensuring their catch arrives in pristine condition in Adelaide. The Barnes family name carries a special reputation amongst South Australian fishers for their exceptional and uncanny ability to find and catch fish when others can’t.