Brescia Fishery Department Launches 2001 Lake Garda Fishing Season and Stocking Program

Final checks on equipment are underway, and come Sunday, all will be on the shores of lakes and rivers, with fishing rods in hand, 36,749 thousand amateur fishermen from Brescia. This is thanks to the opening of the 2001 fishing season announced by Provincial Fishery Councillor, Alessandro Sala, during a crowded press conference held yesterday, Friday, in Manerba del Garda, for Sunday, February 25.

The fishing season coincides with the opening of fishing in high-quality waters and marks the end of the period during which catching of trout was prohibited. Starting this year, all fishermen will have to abide by the regulations approved by the three provincial administrations bordering Lake Garda: Brescia, Verona, and Trento.

The regulations include slight variations depending on the province, finally leading, as highlighted by Sala, to “a unified management of the basin.” The regulations recognize the importance of recreational fishing activities, emphasizing the enjoyment of the environment and reaffirming strong ties to the tourist vocation of all the lakeside towns.

Statistics and Replenishment Plans in Lake Garda Waters

The Brescia province has a total of 3,863 kilometers of coastline, of which 86 are lakeside, 1,053 are along rivers and streams, and 2,637 are through channels and ditches. The 2001 replenishment plan for Lake Garda continues with great commitment through seedings of particularly valuable fish stock.

Currently, approximately 50 million juvenile coregonuses bred at the provincial hatchery in Peschiera del Garda are being introduced into the waters of Garda; 25,000 eggs of roach are in hatching phase. The 2001 seeding plan includes the release of 10 quintals of eels, 300,000 pike, 5,000 carp, and 30,000 lake trout.

Finally, special interest is placed on establishing a series of “valley” hatcheries, which will operate locally to reproduce fish in limited quantities and in natural environments, focusing on water quality and temperature, with the ultimate goal of reducing mortality rates.

In Desenzano, work should soon begin on the construction of the very latest fish station, considered by experts to be a true technological jewel.