I don’t think it’s a surprise to many of our readers here that the sea trout fishing on Fyn is exceptional. That is a result of many factors coinciding in many ways and that has brought thousands of thousands of sea trout fishers to Fyn over the last three decades.
The coast line around Fyn has hundreds of good spots that hold sea trout all year. About 30 years ago the municipalities on Fyn joined in a project called “Havørred Fyn”, Sea Trout Fyn. The aim was, in the beginning, to bring more fishing tourists to Fyn by creating a better fishery. This was initially done by stocking directly in the salt water for the first few years. And quickly the project found another leg to stand – restoration of the streams on Fyn that produce the sea trout. And let me just mention that that alone has resulted in the removal of dams, recreating small section of streams that had been piped under roads etc., meandering a stream after it had been straightened and much more. Approximately one small improvement like these a month (yes, one per month) in the 30 years the projected has existed.
For all those years all the sea trout have been hatched locally, at “Fyns Laksefisk” (translates to Fyn’s Salmonids). Fyns Laksefisk has been run as part of a production school and due to lack of finances and other technicalities, the school is now forced to close or sell Fyns Laksefisk. The very heart of the 30 year long project that has created the excellent sea trout fishery around Fyn is in danger of collapsing unless Fyns Laksefisk can be saved, by buying it out from the school that has run it until now. Fyns Laksefisk is a sustainable, closed circuit hatchery with a strong focus on social aspects and has hundreds of volunteers attached. They are in charge not only of the catching of mother fish and the hatching, but also of coordinating the stream restorations in collaboration with Vandpleje Fyn (an organisation for the volunteers).
The entire project has a long term goal of creating conditions in the streams on Fyn to uphold a good, natural population of sea trout. It was never the plan to keep up the fishing by stocking only. The stocking of fish is scaled down as the streams are getting better and better across the island.
Havørred Fyn and Fyns Laksefisk has been at the forefront of creating a project that is simply too good to end prematurely. Havørred Fyn cannot buy the hatchery alone. Outside funds are needed. And everyone can contribute. Private persons, businesses, organisations, tourist interests – no amount is too small (and no amount to big, obviously). If you have enjoyed the good fishing on Fyn, if you plan to, please consider contributing however you can.
For our Danish readers, information on how to contribute can be found here:
For non-danish contributors, here’s the information you need for a bank transfer:
IBAN: DK3577000001505940
BIC/SWIFT: SYBKDK22
