Around ten tonnes of zander are caught in Swiss waters every year.
Keystone-SDA
The zander, aka Sander lucioperca, has been named the Fish of the Year 2025 by the Swiss Fishing Federation (FSP).
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The zander is as magnificent as a mythical creature, as merciless as a predatory knight and as popular in fishing as it is in the kitchen, the fishing organisation wrote in a press release on Thursday.
However, zander stocks in Switzerland are too small, it added. Around ten tonnes of zander are caught in Swiss waters every year. Demand can therefore only be met with imports and aquaculture.
Thanks to its adaptability, the zander is one of the few fish species that can survive on its own.
“But we have to use it sustainably, which is why we need conservation regulations,” said David Bittner, FSP’s managing director declared.
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Considerable stocks of zander live in lakes Murten, Gruyère, Schiffenen, Sihl and Constance, as well as in Lake Lugano. The zander also thrives in many rivers, dam reservoirs and canals in the central Plateau region in Switzerland.
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The zander is also a good hunter and travels in packs like wolves.
The FSP chose the zander as Fish of the Year 2025 as it wants to raise awareness about natural aquatic habitats to ensure that there are more native fish caught in the wild again.
Adapted from French by DeepL/sb
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