Its harvest time as farmers in Třebon capture fish for shipment. Chances are, if you dont happen to have been raised in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, certain parts of Germany and Austria, or Poland, you may never have thought of carp as a delicacy. But within the territory of what used to be the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that freshwater fish is consumed both with abandon and enthusiasm. In the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Poland - carp even features as the main dish in the traditional Christmas dinner: fried carp served with potato salad. This is why in the weeks leading up to Christmas, fishmongers set up shop on Prague streets, offering fresh (read: live) carp across the city. Without a doubt, carp sales in the Czech Republic peak in November and December. Farmers at the Třebon Fishery, located in the south Bohemian town of the same name, is one of the countrys main producers of carp, harvesting roughly 2,200 of the companys total yearly output of 3,300 tons in the fall. The country has a long tradition of farming the fish that started in the early 14th century. Our method of fishing has remained largely unchanged, apart from a few innovations, says Aleš Kříž, the companys head fish-breeding technician. First, we drain the pond, which can take anywhere between a week and a month, depending on how deep it is. The fish move to the deepest part of the drained pond, and thats where we catch them, with boats and nets. It is hard physical labor that hasnt changed in the past 500 years. Třebon Fishery, which has 388 carp ponds, employs 95 fishermen, but seasonal workers as well as carp-fishing aficionados come in when the main season kicks off to help out the staff. After carp is fished, the specimens are divided according to size. The smaller fish are then returned to ponds, while the bigger catches are moved to holding facilities from where they are delivered to retail outlets. Czech carp are retailed when the fish are 3 to 4 years old, so its not like chicken, which is relatively quick to breed, says Emmerich Čížek from the carp distributor company Fishmarket. Carp take a long time. Carp sold in our store is farmed in Poland and Czech Republic and imported only in December, in time for Christmas.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 12:46:06 +0000
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