Chairman of the listed Australian seafood company, Cell Aquaculture Limited, Robert Sewell says consumers should question retailers about the source of fish being sold.

“Over-fishing is depleting wild caught fish stocks and we need to find alternatives now,” said  Sewell.

The chronic over-fishing of natural seafood stocks is due to an enormous demand for high quality premium seafood produce because of the health benefits of eating fish.

“Eating fish is really, really good for you. Not only is it packed with vitamins and minerals, it is also a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, and recent studies have found this lowers the chance of heart attack, makes babies smarter and wards off dementia and stroke in the elderly,” said Sewell.

Alternatives need to be found and production in sea cages in the ocean is not necessarily the answer because of the impact on the environment according to Sewell, who also farms a 4,000-hectare family grain property at Wongan Hills, east of Perth.

“The solution is land-based fish farming of species like barramundi because it is environmentally sustainable and meets the increasing demand for fish as part of a healthy diet,” he said.

Cell Aquaculture is a global leader in developing land-based systems for growing high quality premium fish everywhere in the world in a controlled, environmentally sustainable environment.

“Land based fish faming is 10 to 15 years behind the poultry and pig industries and our goal is to take the risk out of growing fish as well as making consumers more aware of where the fish they eat is coming from,” Mr Sewell said.

“In a world where demand for quality seafood is increasing, the need to supply adequate quantities of seafood to an aging and increasingly health-conscious world population highlights the vital importance of looking to environmentally sustainable land-based systems of seafood production,” Sewell said.

Cell Aqua listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in July 2005 to supply a full range of environmentally sustainable sea food services. Cell Aqua have successfully built and is commissioning its first European production facility in the Netherlands and aim to be a global company involved in all aspects of the production and sale of quality high end priced seafood.