CROATIA
Novel distribution methods help a Croatian trout farm through the pandemic
Home delivery proves highly popular Croatia is renowned for its coastline which each year attracts millions of tourists who come for the weather, the beaches, and not least, the seafood. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the seafood comes from the sea. But Croatia also has a production of farmed freshwater ďŹ sh in the continental part of the country.
The farm is located in a nature park which is a mixed blessing. While the pristine surroundings attract people to the area, they also host predators that feed on the fish.
F
reshwater farmed fish production in Croatia can be divided into fish produced in polyculture in carp ponds and farms producing rainbow trout either in ponds or in recirculation systems. The volumes of freshwater fish produced are modest. According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics output from carp ponds amounted to 2,500 tonnes in 2019 while that
of trout was 370 tonnes. Over nine tenths of the trout produced is rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), while brown trout (Salmo trutta) accounts for about 1.
Zagreb is the main market for the trout Among the trout producers is the family-owned company Vrabac
Fish Farm. The facility was established in 1998 and today supplies quality rainbow trout and brown trout to markets in Zagreb and to hotels, restaurants, and catering establishments across Croatia, as well direct sales to local customers. The fish is grown primarily from eggs imported from Denmark and the United States. In addition, says Tomo Vrabac, the
owner of the farm, a small amount is bred from spawn produced on the farm itself. He is particularly proud of the brown trout they produce which calls for twice as much time and effort to reach market size compared with rainbow trout. The farm is comprised of 23 raceways that are used for breeding the fish. The water surface area EVSPlTI Magazine 3 / 2020
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