Fishing in Switzerland
In 2014, Switzerland produced around 1.78 million kilograms of fish. Two hundred eighty thousand of the total catch was by recreational anglers, and the other 1.5-million-kilogram catch was from the fishing industry.
The six lakes of Lake Geneva produced 27%, 20% from Lake Neuchatel, 15% from Lake Zurich, 10% from Lake Constance, 7% from Lake Bienne, and 6% from Four Lakes.
Whitefish and Perch were the two most known fish caught in the country, with 60 and 19%, respectively. The other two commons were Roach and Pike at 7% each. The total catch from the four kinds of fish was 93%.
In 1992 the country produced 3.4 million kilograms but had seen a decrease of almost half of that number to date.
Switzerland consumed about 73 million kilograms of fish in 2014, meaning each person consumed 8.8 kilograms. Of all the fish consumed in the country, local catch amounted to 2.4%.
In the last 30 years, Switzerland’s fish consumption has increased significantly, with each person consuming 6.4 kilograms in 1984.
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Fishing in Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva is situated in the middle of Switzerland and France and is the biggest glacial lake. Most fishers in the lake fish with nets and traps or cages, and about 150 of the total fishermen do it for sale. A maximum of 177 licenses is what the government can issue to qualified fishermen. Subsequently, the number of native fishers who do it for leisure using rods from the shoreline or fastened boats can reach 8,000 people.
Most shores are privatized, which makes it hard to fish along the banks. Lake Geneva produces about 1,000 tons of fish annually, which is almost 3 tons of fish daily. 10 % of this total comes from fun-inspired fishermen.
Local Producers
Currently, some entities offer locally produced foods with the intention to be as close to consumers as possible. For instance, the LOË perch is bred and raised in the Lötschberg massif waters to full maturity. Local breeders recreate the natural habitat of the fish in controlled breeding zones.
Upon maturity, the fish is harvested, checked for quality and sent out to local restaurants, where local can enjoy various fish delicacies at their own pleasure.
Fish Varieties in Lake Geneva
The main fish local producers catch in Lake Geneva include; Perch 400 tons annually, whitefish500 tons annually, trout 15 tons yearly, char, 15 tons annually, and pike 40 tons yearly. Other types that occur occasionally include burbot, Roach, and crayfish. Grayling faces extinction thus is being protected.
Ecology of The Roaches
The Roach is approximately 35 cm; hence it’s a tiny fish. The color of its body is bluish silvery with a white abdomen, whereas its fins are red. Its lateral line has about 39-48 scales. The number of rays on its dorsal fins ranges from 12 to 14. The young ones are slim, whereas the older ones have a long and wide body. You can quickly identify the Roach by the big red mark in its iris and next to the pupil. In some surroundings, the eyes and fins have pale colors.
Roaches mostly live in a freshwater environment with some little plant life that provides protection to their young ones and the larva. Adult roaches can use the vegetation for food. The common Roach eats different kinds of food such as plant substance, warms and maggots, and invertebrates living underwater.
Roaches mostly eat plankton until they become bigger to a size where they can eat different foods. Roaches can get used to environments with less invertebrates where they can grow slowly, retain their slim bodies, and mature quickly. Roaches can live for 15 years and above.
Reproduction
The breeding season is mostly Match to June, with some differences where laying can be affected by an increase of water hotness during spring and summer. Roaches never change their breeding place year in, year out.
Huge males usually design schools where females come to. Males inseminate female eggs after tracking them. It is an unpleasant activity, and females usually jump away from the water. Female roaches can lay over 100,000 eggs. It becomes challenging for the roaches to breed when the water pH is less than 5.5.
