Traditional feast: carp are becoming scarce - and expensive
Created: 12/20/2022, 12:15 p.m
By: Katarina Amtmann
Many people eat carp at Christmas or New Year's Eve.
© Daniel Karmann/dpa +++ dpa picture radio +++
Is there only a limited supply at Christmas and no more carp after the holidays?
The popular fish is becoming scarce - and expensive.
Höchstadt - For some people, carp is part of Christmas or New Year's Eve.
The sustainable and regional production also speaks in favor of the fish.
However, supply could be tight this year.
Christmas feast: carp are becoming scarce
Anyone who has planned carp as a feast for the holidays will have to dig deeper into their pockets this year - and possibly search longer.
“The demand for carp is good.
But the supply is relatively scarce,” says Martin Oberle, head of carp pond management at the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture (LfL) in Höchstadt, Middle Franconia.
The reason for this is that there were significantly fewer stocking fish throughout Europe in the spring.
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The carp season runs from September to April.
For nationwide sales, however, December is one of the most important, because in many regions carp is traditionally eaten at Christmas and around the turn of the year.
carp
Season from September to April
According to the Federal Statistical Office, pond farmers bred around 4600 tons last year (3.7 percent less than in the previous year.
Bavaria and Saxony are by far the leaders, each producing around 1700 tons of table carp in 2021.
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"This year it will be a little less," fears Andreas Stummer from the Saxon State Fishing Association.
At the same time, there is great demand from the Czech Republic and especially Poland.
The reasons for this are unclear, but could possibly be related to stricter nature conservation requirements, says Stummer.
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Before carp are ready for slaughter, they have to grow for three years.
But especially the one to two-year-old carp suffered great losses because predators such as otters and cormorants eat them, explains Alfred Stier from the Bavarian State Fishing Association.
“This quantity is missing enormously.
I assume there will be no more carp after Christmas - and already a limited supply for Christmas.”
I assume that after Christmas there will be no more carp.
Alfred Stier from the Bavarian State Fishing Association
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The festive goose, one of the most popular German festive foods at Christmas, is not available everywhere this year. Bavarian ducks are also rare.
Carp are becoming scarce - and more expensive
According to Stier, rising prices for feed and energy will also be reflected in table carp.
He calculates that a whole carp will cost at least eight to nine euros in the trade.
Last year it was seven euros.
For this reason, and in view of rising costs in gastronomy, carp dishes in restaurants will also become more expensive, for example the half-baked carp, which is particularly popular in Northern Bavaria.
According to LfL estimates, this will cost 1.50 euros more per portion.
(came/dpa)
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