HUNGARY
600 hectares by implementing 24 measures. MAHOP Plusz supports science-based fisheries management practices, such as those aimed at protecting and developing habitats in natural waters and ensuring the
migration route of migratory fish. In addition, the aim is to support recreational activities, selective fishing for ecological purposes aimed at catching nonnative invasive species, and fishing for demonstration purposes.
MAHOP Plusz, the Hungarian fish operational programme plus, aims to increase the resilience and sustainability of pond fish farming and to exploit the ecosystem services the sector provides to create a more profitable
and attractive industry for entrepreneurs, employees, and consumers alike. Klára Szűcs Szathmáriné, Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Hungary
An entrepreneur in Hungary breeds high quality pike-perch for the international market
A demanding fish to breed and rear Pike-perch is a high-value freshwater fish species found in lakes and rivers in Northern and Central Europe among other regions. The fish has also long been grown in polyculture with carps in the large earthen aquaculture ponds typical of Central and Eastern Europe. More recently, fish farmers in several European countries have started growing the species in recirculation systems where the water used to grow the fish is cleaned and reused. This technology is expensive to buy, install, and operate, but the high price the fish commands makes it worthwhile.
A
n agricultural engineer at Almásfüzit village in Ko m á r o m - E s z t e r g o m county, north-west Hungary, István Vida recognized an opportunity amidst the industrialization of this area of fertile land and gravel deposits. Mr Vida saw the bed of the gravel mine, continuously replenished by water from the Danube, become a haven for various fish species: bream, carp, perch, and pike-perch.
Experience growing several species Ten years ago, Mr Vida established Fodina Fish Ltd.—the farm where originally only sterlet was hatched and grown. At a later stage, new species were added to the range: Russian sturgeon, beluga, and striped bass. Pike-perch was another species that attracted his attention: high demand on the European market and scarce supply were good preconditions to add this fish to the farm’s range. In 2022 Fodina started rearing larvae and on-growing pike-perch in
the farm’s recirculation facilities. The larvae are placed in cylindrical tanks with conical bottoms. Here an upwelling flow is supplied until the larvae develop swim bladders, which finishes about three weeks after hatch. Sprayers keep the water surface within the tanks clean to enable proper swim bladder inflation. Until the swim bladders are developed, fish are given live diets comprising highly enriched Artemia. The Artemia is enriched to ensure the quality of the larvae which in turn secures the quality of the final product. The enrichment process comprises keeping the Artemia in well oxygenated water, to which commercial products rich in fatty acids have been added, for 12 to 24 hours. When the swim bladder is inflated and fish start developing stomachs, both the diet and the flow change. The fish are weaned off Artemia and switched to artificial feed, and the flow of water within the tank becomes circular which, although more challenging for the fish, enables much better hygiene and much lower microbial density. The conical base is useful for cleaning the
Dr Uros Ljubobratovic, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE-HAKI) and a consultant for Fodina Fish; a company employee; Istvan Vida, owner and manager of Fodina Fish; and Dr Beatrix Beres Szabone, Ministry of Agriculture
tanks as the sludge can be easily flushed out by a single person. Once the juveniles reach a certain size, usually around 200-300 milligrams, they are transported to another unit with rectangular tanks, where they are placed in.
Using light technology to optimise growth Istvan Vida together with Uros Ljubobratovic, a researcher at the Research Centre for Fisheries and
Aquaculture of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE-HAKI), who also works as a consultant for Fodina Fish, is experimenting with artificial lighting in the early stages of fish development. With the evolution of technology, artificial lighting has become a crucial component of modern aquaculture practices, especially in indoor and controlled environment systems. Light influences fish growth, reproduction, behaviour, and overall health.
EUROFISH Magazine 6 / 2023
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