South Bohemian fishermen did not change the prices of carp after the Easter catches in the south of Bohemia

Large fishing companies in the south of Bohemia are selling Easter carp these days. Their prices are the same as last year, ranging from 95 to 119 crowns per kilogram. The warm weather made hunting possible already at the beginning of March and will end in April.

In addition to market fish at Easter, they mainly catch young fish for further breeding for the main autumn season. This follows from the current statements of companies in response to ČTK’s inquiry. After the catch at the end of April, some fisheries will evaluate the season and add up the damage caused by cormorants and otters.

This year’s warm weather has allowed earlier harvests than usual. The Třeboň fishery began harvesting at the turn of February and March. “The ponds were ice-free, the fish started to eat, so there was nothing to wait for and we started fishing,” said Josef Malecha, chairman of the board of directors. They caught 80 tons of fish for sale, which are already with their customers. A larger part is made up of young fish for further breeding, Malecha added. The price of carp per kilogram will be CZK 119, and according to Malecha, it has been the same for two years. The fish will be sold both at the company store in Třebon na sádky, and at others in Planá nad Lužnicí, Soběslav, Milevsk, Mladá Vožica and in Prague at Sádky Lahovice.

The company Blatenská ryba has been fishing since the beginning of March and should be done around April 12. He plans to fish up to 60 ponds, most of the fish will go to further breeding. It starts selling today in packs. The price of carp will be 108 crowns per kilogram and will be the same as at Christmas. They breed fish in 198 ponds.

The Nové Hrady fishery will fish in approximately 80 ponds until the end of April. They will catch fish from them both for breeding and for sale and for sports fishermen. “At Easter, we fish the Královský pond, where we have two to three kilogram market fish. The price remains the same as in autumn, 95 crowns per kilogram in bags,” said company director Lubomír Zvonař. They manage 330 ponds.

Forests and ponds of the city of České Budějovice, which take care of 56 ponds, started fishing on Tuesday at five ponds. They will sell market fish in their store in Českobudějovická street J. Haška. They have also prepared a discount event for Easter, when carp I. will cost 85 CZK/kg and choice carp 95 CZK/kg, informed the company’s manager Jiří Staněk.

Cormorants again harmed the fishermen. For now, they only have preliminary estimates, they will have exact numbers after the April spring catches. According to Zvonař, they disposed of around half a million hatchery fish last year, and the company therefore has to do more of them. “The measure (against cormorants) is scaring or shooting, but until the end of March. We can ask for an exception until the end of April, if there are large air raids, but then shooting is not allowed,” noted Zvonař, director of fishermen from Novi Hrad. Problems are mainly caused by a warmer winter, when the water does not freeze, the fish are thus in motion and are easier prey for predators. “The losses are ten to 30 percent, sometimes even more. And the question is whether it is caused by the fact that the fish is exhausted and dies, or whether a predator, a cormorant or an otter is to blame,” explained Václav Milota, commercial deputy of Blatenská ryby.

ČTK, illustration photo Our water – Nina Havlová

27.3.2024 15.18, Column: What we should know about water, Drinks and water in food, Fishing and pond farming