Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

European perch crowned Fish of the Year

A perch caught on Lake Geneva in 2017
A perch caught on Lake Geneva in 2017 © KEYSTONE / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

The European perch, or Perca fluviatilis, has been named the Fish of the Year for 2019. 

The Swiss Fishing Association said on Wednesday External linkthat it had chosen the perch to remind the public of its popularity, particularly as a culinary delicacy in Switzerland.

Around 350 tonnes of perch are caught every year by local professional fishermen and amateur anglers. But ten times this amount is imported or farmed to meet consumer demand.  

The perch, a predatory species, is greenish with red fins and five to eight vertical dark bars on its side. An adult perch can vary greatly in size: 25-40 cm long and weighing between 200 g and 2 kg. They can be found in the plants and reeds of lakes, slow-moving rivers and streams throughout the Alpine country. When the temperatures drop, they like to descend to up to 100 metres below the surface of deep lakes. 

The perch is thought to have lived in Europe and Asia for 23 million years and has spread to other parts of the world like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. There are now over 9,300 different species classed in 150 families.

More

More

Net tightens on fishing profession

This content was published on Complex environmental and other challenges threaten the livelihoods of the few remaining professional fishermen in Switzerland.

Read more: Net tightens on fishing profession

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Property prices continue to rise

More

Swiss property prices continue to rise

This content was published on Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.

Read more: Swiss property prices continue to rise

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR