A fishy tale…
In 1960, British colonialists in East Africa introduced the Nile Perch, likely the largest freshwater fish in the world, to Lake Victoria in attempts to cultivate a better fish resource. At the time, the hearty, fast growing carnivorous fish seemed a perfect candidate, as the Lake had been over-fished at this point and needed economic rejuvenation. What ensued was an ecological travesty. The huge remorseless eating machine decimated nearly 350 native fish species and wreaked havoc on the whole ecosystem. Now it is one of a handful of fish species in the lake, to which a large and important commercial fishery is based. In fact, Nile Perch is so abundant in Lake Victoria, the original market name has been changed to include the Lake in its moniker. Lake Victoria is now a fine lesson in ecology and cause and effect.

These fish can grow extremely large, upwards of 300lbs. But sizes like that are sport trophies compared to the 6-10lb fish used commercially. They are mild in flavor, medium in texture and firmness, nice large moist flake, possess very few bones in the meat, and for being a rather lean fish they have a healthful amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.