Pike-Perch Farming in Switzerland

by Ulrich Koepf on May 10, 2023 with No Comments

(Unfortunately, the Video is in Swiss German only, however, it will give you a great idea of how this fish is being raised )

Basis 57 Pike-Perch

The history of the Gotthard Zander began in 2007 when it became clear that the construction of the new railway link through the Alps (NRLA) could make the purest mountain water economically usable. A handful of visionaries came together and developed the business idea of farmed edible fish from Urner’s Erstfeld. There were many ideas in the room: a Beer brewery, a mineral water production, a wellness oasis, or a surfing center. In the end, the freshwater edible fish won the race. The Basis 57 Sustainable Water Use GmbH was founded, which a few months later became the Basis 57 Sustainable Water Use AG. With the plan to set up one of the largest fish farms in Switzerland, the company began research and development work.

Around 14 years later, the former vision has become reality: Switzerland’s largest pike-perch farm is located directly at the north portal of the world’s longest railway tunnel, called the Gotthard Tunnel, 36 miles long, the car tunnel is 10 miles long and connects Switzerland with Italy in the south. A stone’s throw away from the entrance of the tunnel is the company’s own fish farm and office space in the Village of Erstfeld.