Barthos are a catch!!

Their love of the sea has brought brothers Daryl and Brett a lot of pleasure, a competitive spirit, as well as successful and innovative business opportunities, writes Lois Kuhle

There’s a lot to be said for your kids growing up enjoying the fresh air and sandy beaches of Zululand. Grandpa Leo King, patriarch and mentor, would be proud of his two sporty, wholesome grandsons, who spent most of their youth fishing, paddling and enjoying the surf and sun in Richard’s Bay.

Daryl (32) and Brett (27) Bartho were born in Empangeni and Pietermaritzburg respectfully and educated at Durban High School.

“In high school we both played competitive rugby,” Brett Bartho told us from their brand new shop, Bartho’s Fish Co in Durban North, “but by matric we had to choose between rugby and paddling.” They chose paddling, a choice that propelled them into being successful sportsmen.

“I learnt that the difference between rowing and paddling is that rowers use oars and go backwards, while paddlers go forwards!” said Brett.

During matric they both made the national junior SA Sprint canoe team. Daryl toured Japan, while Brett went to Hungary. Back home they pursued their paddling careers, both becoming Springbok paddlers for Sprints.

“Because of South Africa’s isolation, races developed to keep the sport going – like the Duzi, the Port Elizabeth to East London Surf-Ski Race (which is the longest surf-ski race in the world), the Fish River Canoe Marathon, and the Cape Point Challenge – just to name a few,” Brett said.

They have excelled in some of the races, with Brett currently ranked No 1 in the SA Fishing Ski – which involves deep sea fishing from a paddle ski.

“It’s a very eco-friendly way of fishing – there are no engines and it has minimal impact on the beach.”

At the time of going to print the brothers were off to Australia to participate in the Avon Descent Canoe Race in Perth, a 137km race over two days, which South Africans have dominated for the past decade.

Their respect for the ocean and their love of fishing is the foundation of their new business.

“Seven years ago I started a fish wholesaling company,” said Daryl, “distributing fish for friends who had commercial tuna licenses. This year we decided to showcase our products via a retail outlet, as strangely enough, fresh fish is hard to come by in Durban and few people know how to cook it properly.”

Their mum, Sandy, works behind the scenes with them sending out regular e-mails to their data base clients on what is available, as well as tempting their tastebuds with tantalising recipes.

With more and more people considering fresh fish to be a healthy yet alternative source of natural protein, products from conventional commercial land based farms are viewed with increasing suspicion. But less publicised are the conservation issues surrounding seafood species, many being harvested at unsustainable rates, causing unacceptable damage to the ocean’s eco-system and creating potentially serious long-term effects.

It’s long overdue that consumers started making informed choices. The consumer species list advises which seafood species are legal: green species are the best as they can handle current fishing demands; orange species should be considered with caution as they are either over-exploited or from problematic fisheries; and red species are illegal to sell in South Africa, with some of them being protected.

“All fish sold at Bartho’s Fish Co is registered and checked by KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife,” confirmed Daryl, who is adamant that the company’s ethos is to buy from people who practice sustainable fishing methods. Say he and his brother: “We want our children to have the same benefits with which we had the privilege of growing up.”

Useful info: Contact Bartho’s Fish Co at 031 563 2921. Consumer species list.