Fishing for the Local Fishing Project, announced in March by the Foundation, has begun. Because of the cold and inconstant weather conditions, fishing could not start before the end of May, as breams – a particular target of the project – will not move from deeper waters to the coastline before the water warms up.Based on applications, five fishers from the Airisto and Uusikaupunki regions were chosen for the project. All registered professional fishers from the Archipelago Sea fishing district could participate in the selection process.
Fish delicacies from the Archipelago Sea Local Fishing Project can now be tasted at Turku Market Hall, where they are available from S. Wallin fishmongers. In the early phases of the project, fish products are mainly delivered to institutional kitchens.
The Local Fishing Project fishes for cyprinid fish, mainly bream. The objective of the project is to make sure that the majority of the fished cyprinid fish, i.e. a minimum of 70% of the average catch, is used in foodstuffs. The fishers deliver their catch to Kala-Apu Oy, who mince the fish and deliver those parts of the fish that are not fit for consumption to Sybimar Oy for further processing.
In the first phase of the project, local fish patties prepared by fishmongers S. Wallin are delivered via industrial kitchens to, for example, hospitals and schools in the Turku region.
There has already been great interest in the local fish products, and in addition to the city of Turku and the Turku food services company Arkea, local fish products are being introduced to the food service offerings of Naantali, Raisio, Kaarina and Salo.
One of the project’s long-term objectives is to increase the utilisation of Finnish cyprinid fish, often seen to be of low value, in foodstuffs. Local fish products promote health and are an ethical alternative to, for example, imported fish or intensively farmed meat products. Moreover, fishing recycles nutrients from the sea to land, which means that the Baltic Sea will also benefit from the project.
To the left: Marjukka Porvari (John Nurminen Foundation), fishers Hannu Lahtonen, Mika Rantanen, and Jouko Aalto, and Petri Rannikko, project officer from the Vakka-Suomi fishing park. Project agreements with the fishers were signed in Turku on 23 April 2015.
Learn more about the project at https://www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi/puhdas-itameri/lahikalahanke/