Do you too dream of perch fillets in the sun in summer? And what do you think of Perch fillets in the sun?
Originally from North America and considered to be a pest in both France and Switzerland, the Sun Perch was introduced in the 19th century in our lakes. It is thought that its arrival was facilitated by aquarists dumping their aquariums in lakes, or by fishermen wanting to extend their territory. The sunshine perch is a rather attractive little fish, characterised by its "rainbow" scales. Its green and blue back and golden highlights give it the look of a fish from the tropics.
So what's the problem?
Omnivorous and voracious, the Sun Perch devours fry (young fish), worms, larvae, eggs, shellfish and crustaceans, just like our native species. With no natural predators in our region, this fish is free to establish itself little by little in all our lakes. While its impact on local biodiversity is hard to quantify at the moment, it is the potential increase in its population that is worrying scientists.
What's more, the dedication with which the males defend their eggs has been well noted by people who have been bitten by them; some people in Valais have even given up swimming! As the Sun Perch has no real teeth, they pose no danger to humans. Nevertheless, a fish bite is no fun!
So what should you do? Blacklisting a fish means that it is forbidden to return it to the water once it has been caught. Unfortunately, this is not enough and this species is present in the region's lakes. We therefore need to increase fishing pressure on this species in order to relieve the pressure on our indigenous species such as the Féra and the Trout. The Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, in partnership with the Maison de la Rivière, has already developed recipe ideas for this little-known fish, in the hope that increased demand for this fish - already consumed in North America - will help to reduce its population.
So why not make nets out of them?
Photo credit: Bernard Dupont
