For thousands of years, fish has served mankind as a valuable food source, and even today it is literally on everyone’s lips. On the current “Fish Day”, however, many environmental protection organizations also draw attention to the dramatic situation of the aquatic inhabitant: overfishing in the seas, polluted waters (currently on the Oder, for example), declining river levels and high temperatures are depleting stocks. The trend is therefore towards sustainably grown, regional products – the “Krone” visited a model company.
Our path leads us into the Lower Austrian Pielachtal to Oliver Bures, who took over a closed fish farm a few years ago. With his “PIUS” fish, the Viennese is an example of how aquaculture can also be done without animal suffering and antibiotics. The six ponds are located just a few hundred meters from the source of the Pielach. There is no agriculture or industry in the area, the water has the highest drinking water quality – the best conditions for its arctic char.
life dream
As a trained restaurateur, the Viennese worked a lot with food because of his job, but soon he could no longer deal with the conventional mass-produced products of the industry. Without further ado, he sold his restaurant in the heart of Ottakring and devoted himself to his lifelong dream of a fish farm turned into a small farm.
An Icelander in Annaberg
The arctic char or “Arctic Char” usually lives in the polar sea north of Iceland. But even at the foot of the Annaberg, its needs can be perfectly met, because the Pielach pumps about 60 liters per second of fresh, cold water into the fish breeding tanks. With this flow rate, the water in it is changed more than 20 times a day and guarantees a perfect living space. The Pielach carries an even amount of water, fortunately scarcity and drought have not yet arrived here.
Popular product
The Austrian eats about eight kilos of fish a year, but this requirement cannot be met with local products. According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety, about 94 percent is imported and the majority comes from the sea. With a “Global Ocean Alliance,” environmental groups like PETA are calling for protecting about 30 percent of the seas by 2030 to save the ecological balance disrupted by overfishing.
Problematic breeding
But even fish from conventional aquaculture is often not the best choice, as it often means animal suffering: cramped spaces, water pollution from feces and uneaten food, parasite infestations and the prophylactic use of antibiotics. At the end, a painful death awaits on the assembly line.
Sustainable and regional
Oliver Bures takes a different approach with his certified organic breeding. He works according to the “on demand” principle, which means that he collects orders from end customers every week and only fishes his salmon from the pond in one day. Every Thursday they are cut by hand and processed immediately. The product range ranges from boneless fillets to smoked and ready-to-eat fish as a whole. For sushi lovers there are even “premium fillets” in sashimi quality. On Friday, the vacuumed order is delivered directly to your home, the main catchment area is along the Pielachtal to Vienna.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
