At Sonora, flavor is everything—but we don’t serve anything that comes at the cost of the ocean. Whether it’s our tequila-miso Barramundi Collars or a limited run of Fremantle Octopus, we care just as much about where our seafood comes from as how it ends up on the plate.
And these days, let’s be honest—it’s getting harder to trust what’s sustainable. So here’s how we break it down at Sonora, using resources like the GoodFish Guide and working closely with our suppliers to get it right.
1. Fast-Growing = More Sustainable
If it grows fast and bounces back quickly, it’s usually a good choice. Think Aussie prawns, mussels, squid, or Fremantle Octopus—they all regenerate quickly and don’t need much intervention. We love them grilled, charred, and tossed with garden citrus or chile oil.
✱ Fremantle Octopus is wild-caught off WA’s coast using pots, not trawls—zero bycatch, zero damage. Want to know more? Check them out at fremantleoctopus.com.au.
2. Farmed? Check the Feed
Some people think farmed fish is always bad. It’s not. It’s all about feed conversion ratio (FCR)—how much food it takes to grow a kilo of fish. Barramundi is a local winner here: native to Australian waters, low FCR, and farmed with care.
Avoid species like salmon unless you really know the farm. At Sonora, we don’t mess around—we ask the hard questions or we don’t buy.
3. Reproducing in the Wild—or Restocked Right
We only support fisheries that are naturally rebuilding or properly managed. Some wild species, like sardines and squid, come back quickly. Others, like orange roughy, are a hard no—they live 100 years and breed too slowly to be sustainable.
If there’s no plan to protect the stock, we pass.
4. Overfished? Not on Our Menu
If it’s listed as overfished, depleted, or caught using destructive methods, it doesn’t make it into the building. No deep-sea dredgers. No shady imports. If we can’t trace it, we skip it.
Want to do the same at home? Use the GoodFish App—it’s the easiest way to sort the good stuff from the greenwashing.
5. Use the Whole Fish—That’s Where the Flavour Is
Here’s the truth: fillets are the most boring part of a fish. The good stuff? It’s in the collars, the belly, the skin, the bones.
That’s why one of our signatures is Barramundi Collars marinated in tequila and miso, then fire-roasted until they’re sticky, smoky, and fall-apart rich. Most people throw them out—we make them the hero.
✱ Ask about them next time you’re in. We run them regularly on our rotating menu.
6. Bycatch, Gear, and Impact
We choose pot-caught, handline, and low-impact gear types wherever possible. Fremantle Octopus? Pots only. No bottom trawls, no habitat damage, no stress on other species.
We look at the whole system, not just the label. That’s how you get true sustainability, not marketing.
7. We Only Serve It When It’s Right
Sometimes that means no fish on the menu that week. Sometimes it means featuring something wild and local that no one else is using.
But the rule stays the same: if it’s not sustainable, it’s not on the table.
8. Partnering with the Right Suppliers
We work with local, trusted suppliers who are just as picky as we are. If they can’t trace it, they don’t sell it to us. That means no mystery fish, no dodgy frozen imports, and no greenwashed nonsense.
9. If You’re Not Sure, Just Ask
Whether you’re eating out or shopping for home, ask questions:
- Where’s the fish from?
- How was it caught or farmed?
- Is the species overfished?
Or just pull up GoodFish—it’ll do the work for you.
10. A Better Plate, A Better Ocean
At Sonora, we cook food that’s bold, fresh, and respectful—from our garden to our tacos to our seafood. We’re not perfect, but we care deeply about doing better.
Come in, eat something wild, and taste the difference real sourcing makes.
FAQ: Sustainable Seafood at Sonora Potts Point
❓What seafood do you serve at Sonora?
We serve Australian seafood only, based on what’s in season and sustainably sourced. That includes things like Fremantle Octopus, local squid, Aussie prawns, and Barramundi Collars—we rotate the menu based on availability and stock health.
❓Are farmed fish sustainable?
Some are, some aren’t. We only use farmed species with a low environmental impact and good feed conversion ratios—like Aussie barramundi. We skip salmon unless the farm’s practices are top-notch, and even then, it’s rare.
❓What makes Fremantle Octopus sustainable?
Fremantle Octopus is caught using pot traps, not bottom trawling. That means minimal bycatch, no damage to reefs or seafloor habitats, and full traceability. Plus, the octopus stock is naturally strong and fast-reproducing, which ticks all our boxes.
❓What are Barramundi Collars?
They’re the rich, fatty section behind the fish’s gills—something most people discard, but we turn them into a signature dish. At Sonora, we marinate them in tequila and miso, then char them over fire until caramelised and smoky. They’re one of the most sustainable and flavour-packed items on our menu.
❓Is your seafood wild-caught or farmed?
Both—but always with intention. We choose wild when stocks are healthy and gear types are low-impact (like handline or pots). We choose farmed when the species is native to Australia, well-managed, and raised without wasteful inputs.
❓Do you use overfished species?
Never. If it’s listed as overfished or threatened on the GoodFish Guide or through our suppliers’ data, it’s off the menu. We don’t serve orange roughy, imported basa, or anything caught with destructive gear.
❓Can I ask where the seafood comes from when dining in?
Absolutely. Just ask our team—we’ll tell you the story behind every ingredient. And if we don’t know, it won’t be on the plate. That’s how we run the kitchen.
❓How do I check if seafood is sustainable when shopping?
Use the GoodFish website or app. It’s Australia’s most trusted seafood guide, and it’s what we use in the kitchen. Look for species that are local, fast-growing, responsibly caught or farmed, and not overexploited.
❓Do you serve seafood every week?
Not always. If we can’t get something that meets our standards, we simply leave it off. You might see more plant-forward dishes or meat-based tacos instead—we don’t chase trends, we chase what’s right.
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