Fishery/Hatchery in PE area.

[fishmonger]

Howzit

I'm looking at now finally looking into operating a trout fishery and hatchery in the PE area. The bug bit while we where in the UK, and since then I've wanted to own a fishery.

My most obvious questions are:

• How many people eat trout in SA? I've not seen it available anywhere
  
• How much do you pay /kg?
• How do fisheries get over the warmer climate?

There will be more.
Cheers

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Howzit,

Trout is on almost every single menu in and around Dullstroom Restaurants.The place for the larnies come weekends.

My 300g

G

[fishmonger]

That is where you'd expect to see them on the menu, and the fat cats ordering them. I wanna know if the man in the street, without a 4 weight, eats trout.

Half of the fishery setup will be supplying fish, if there's a market, to supermarkets etc. Have to earn a living somehow, day ticket fees won't cover my ever enlarging mortgage.

[poppernel]

Howzit

I'm looking at now finally looking into operating a trout fishery and hatchery in the PE area. The bug bit while we where in the UK, and since then I've wanted to own a fishery.

My most obvious questions are:

• How many people eat trout in SA? I've not seen it available anywhere
  
• How much do you pay /kg?
• How do fisheries get over the warmer climate?

There will be more.
Cheers

What experience did you get in the U.K.? Fish farming I'd say is not something you can run on trial and error. Breeding or fishery licences will also be a bugger to get, thats after you find a suitable place. A overall costly venture. Be carefull!!!!!

[KevinE]

Pete, as an ex-PE man myself I'd have to say that you may struggle to find a suitable venue around PE for a commercial trout hatchery. The main problem is that you need access to a reliable supply of clean, cold water. I seem to recall a semi-commercial hatchery heading out Lady's Slipper way, have no details though. High acidity is also a problem in many of the area's streams.

But good luck man, head for the hills and see what you can find.

[Jasper]

speak to Martin Davies .. Rhodes Uni Dept Icthiology.

[nicholas]

Just out of interest,under the alien species act are the goverment allowing any new ventures that involve these species?????

[fishmonger]

I hear you Poppernel and Kevin.
Cold fresh water will be a problem and it's just hit home how important it is. I've realised I'd have to "head for the hills" to run it properly, but how does that deter my patrons?

I've been to the dept, and all I have to prove to them is that the stock will not escape into the river system.

Are there any fishery owners here and how are they finding things?

Thanks again.

[Surly Ghillie]

Just out of interest,under the alien species act are the goverment allowing any new ventures that involve these species?????

Fishmonger, there aint no way you can warrent that fish will not escape unless you aperate a system that is entirely closed; i.e, in your basement

And that's the least of the problems.

SA trout production has been stagnant at about 1000 tons per annum for beter than 2 decades. basically 99% of this production is produced from about a dozen stable hatcheries. there are aboput another 35 hobbyists producing the remaining 1% and they come and go so fast it'll make your head spin. Even in the 'prime area', 3 out of 4 aspirant trout producers go bust. Just in Underberg, over the past 4 decades there have been about 20 trout producers, including some quite big-pocket players (i.e. Tongaat-Hulette) ... who operations have run into insovency and closed down.

The fact is there are limited sites and the 5 MOST important factors are ; position, position, position, position,position. even the 'best' locations in South frica operate in a window-of-risk that is considered 'undoable' by all major salmonid proction players overseas.

From reading your posts and your intended solutions, looks to me you are on a hiding to nothing. High tech hatcheries that rely on technology to control environment cannot compete with hatcheries that utilise nateral configurations. And in South Africa, your production cost is higher than the prices of imported product produced by facilities in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and other first world countries that subsidise aquaculture to the hilt. You can buy danish subsidised raw imports cheaper than we can produce it here. Good luck dude