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Who’d think that raising fish on land could be a model for sustainable farming in an island state like ours? Yet that’s what the Kohala Mountain Fish Co. is doing, and it’s one of the top producers of tilapia in the U.S.
Operating on what was once a 30-acre Big Island macadamia nut farm, the year-old company with some 20 workers is raising Mozambique tilapia, a red-hued fish with white flesh.
“It’s versatile because it has a clean taste and a good amount of fat. You can poach it, you steam it; you can do many things with it,” said chef Alan Wong, who’s had experience working with the fish. “I visited the farm, and I know where and how it’s grown. I think it’s a fantastic product.”
The “where” and “how” that Wong refers to constitute an agricultural approach that benefits other area farms, without damaging the environment.
Located in Kapaau, the farm comprises a hatchery, nursery for juveniles and 38 tanks for adult fish, each able to hold 20,000 pounds of fish. Fish are raised in potable water pumped from two mountain springs accessed decades ago by sugar plantations.
“During cane days, they carved lateral tunnels into the Kohala mountains and pumped water,” said consultant Bob Endreson, who along with General Manager John Oliva designed and engineered the farming system.
THE FISH are clean, not just because of water quality, but because the water is recirculated seven times a day, using a system that requires very little energy. It runs mostly on gravity, with tanks placed on inclined land so that water flows from the highest tanks to lower ones. One pump circulates water back to the top tanks, and each day, 15 percent of the water is changed. The water that’s removed is used to irrigate crops of neighboring taro patches and macadamia nut farms.
Endreson said the cleanliness of the water differentiates Kohala Mountain from other types of fish farms, most of which raise fish in large nets situated in rivers, lakes and streams. “The water quality in these farms can be bad, with the mud and pollutants in the water,” he said. “Our fish are literally growing in tap water.”
Fish are harvested three times a year, and the farm currently could produce up to 2.5 million pounds annually. Market size is about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds, Endreson said.
The company has also built a cold facility just yards from the tanks, where employees scale and eviscerate the fish. Fish offal is used as compost, and a long-term goal is to use waste to make cattle feed.
An automated fillet-processing line is scheduled to arrive any day. Endreson called it “the final piece of the puzzle” — once it’s in place, the farm can operate at full capacity.
While some fish are delivered fresh, most are flash- frozen in blast freezers with temperatures that go as low as 40 degrees below zero. These are loaded on trucks and taken to be flown and shipped across the United States.
A BIG plus for such an operation is that Hawaii has no winter weather, so the farm can produce fish all year. The market for American-raised tilapia is wide open; Endreson said the U.S. imports 400 to 700 million pounds of the fish a year. At this point, the company anticipates it could fill 1 percent of that.
To hit that mark, part of its plan to increase production is by helping other farms and backyard growers start up their own tanks.
Kohala Mountain’s research estimates that one tank could generate $10,000 in net income annually, Endreson said.
The farm has the capacity to hatch 30 million babies a year and would sell them to independent fish farmers for a fraction of retail cost. The same goes for feed. “The objective is not to make money, but to be an economic engine,” he said.
Farmers starting their own tanks have a guaranteed buyer in Kohala Mountain, as long as they follow its protocol for raising the fish. This makes it easy to get SBA or USDA start-up loans.
An investment in a fish tank or two would help the farmer whose pastures are brown from lack of water, which can be costly, Endreson said. Not only would tanks generate income, but also nutrient-rich water for pastureland.
The tilapia is sold on Oahu at supermarkets such as Foodland, Don Quijote and Seafood City. The fish aren’t always labeled as Kohala Mountain, but Endreson said theirs is the only U.S.-grown tilapia product on Hawaii shelves.
Once the fillet line is in place, the company aims to supply large local accounts such as the state Department of Education and the Department of Defense.
But goals continue to grow alongside potential. The new fillet equipment, for instance, is capable of processing up to 50 million pounds of fish a year.
“Sure, we hope to be there someday,” Endreson said.
CHEF MARK “Gooch” Noguchi said that fried fish has always been his favorite food.
Here, he uses his frying method with tilapia. It includes an overnight brine, he said, because simply salting a fish would break down the oil.
He serves it with a chili pepper shoyu, which Noguchi recommends making a few days ahead so flavors can come together.
FRIED TILAPIA
By Mark “Gooch” Noguchi, Pili Group
- 1 2-pound whole tilapia, or 2 tilapia fillets
- Oil for deep frying
>> Brine:
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 cup salt
- Aromatics and herbs (optional)
Combine brine ingredients and stir to dissolve salt. Clean and score fish. Place in brine and soak overnight in fridge.
Remove tilapia from brine a few hours before frying. Dry well.
In deep fryer, wok or heavy pot, heat enough oil to submerge fish. Heat to 350 to 375 degrees.
Dust fish with cornstarch and shake off excess, then carefully place in hot oil. Fry until bubbles dissipate slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over carefully and let cook through. (The scored areas will open up. Check meat at its thickest part, closest to the head. It should be fully cooked.)
Remove and drain well on paper towels. Serve right away with chili pepper shoyu (below) and cold beer. Serves 2.
>> To make Chili Pepper Shoyu: Combine 1 cup shoyu with 1/4 cup rice vinegar, juice of 2 lemons, 3 Hawaiian chili peppers, 2 minced garlic cloves, lemon zest and a pinch sugar. Let sit a couple days. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.
Nutritional information unavailable.
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