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Faronika
Aquaculture
Faronika d.o.o., a company owned by the Tolmin Fishing Club, was established in 2011. In 2015, a new fish farm, Faronika, was built at the confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers. The facility includes 14 pools: 10 smaller ones and 4 larger ones.
The Faronika fish farm is supplied with water from the Tolminka River, which is a torrential river with low temperatures ranging from 4 to 13 degrees Celsius.
Fish processing and sale of fish products
In recent years, the flow of tourists through the Soča Valley has greatly increased, along with the demand for table fish. With the aim of being recognized as a supplier of local table fish, we have signed sales agreements with local retailers and institutions. We offer fish to agricultural cooperative stores in the Primorska region, restaurants, kindergartens, and schools:
Marble trout caviar
Fresh fish and fresh fillet
Carpaccio
Smoked fish and smoked fillet
Spreads made from smoked trout
Our competitive advantage lies in offering marble trout and grayling, which no one else has, as their breeding is demanding and time-consuming. Any product made from these fish has a high value.
Over the past two years, we have significantly increased the supply of fresh fillets to schools and kindergartens, where the fillets are further refined — all bones are carefully removed using tweezers. This final product is offered in the Tolmin, Goriška, Vipava, Koper, Idrija, Logatec, and Vrhnika areas.
The Soča spread with pieces of smoked trout is a great example of how to combine several local producers into a product that represents the food production activities of the wider Soča Valley. We combined fish from Posočje, cottage cheese and cream from Planika Dairy in Kobarid, and olive oil from a producer in the Goriška Brda region. Based on the positive response from consumers, Faronika is developing even more flavors of fish spreads. Two are especially popular: one flavored with seaweed and horseradish, and another with chili and turmeric. Additionally, no preservatives are added to the spread — it is fresh and of very high quality.
We also take pride in our carpaccio made from marble trout, grayling, and brook trout. These fish are also prepared as cold-smoked delicacies. All these gourmet variations are made for high-end tastings, and we always treat locals with them at local gastronomic events.
Brook trout caviar and especially marble trout caviar are, of course, top specialties. They are available during the spawning season from December to March, when they are delivered fresh directly to customers — mainly restaurants.
Faronika fish farms are dedicated to breeding native species and rainbow trout for the purposes of maintenance and supplementary stocking for fishing, as well as for the increasingly popular table fish market. At the new location, a facility has been built that includes fish and fish product processing areas, a small shop, and office spaces.
Both marble trout and grayling juveniles are sold by Faronika d.o.o. to other fishing clubs for maintenance stocking and to fish farmers for further rearing. For fishing purposes, rainbow trout is primarily raised and stocked into watercourses in accordance with the fish farming management plan and in quantities that ensure high-quality fishing.
With the current capacity, we produce approximately 50 tons of rainbow trout annually, which is purchased by our fishing club, other fishing clubs, and fish farmers. Around 25 tons of rainbow trout are processed each year for table consumption.
Customers
Our primary customers are local retailers and local buyers, meaning consumers in the Soča Valley who purchase our products in the Tolmin Agricultural Cooperative stores and Planika Dairy shops. The goal is for the residents of this valley to recognize freshwater fish as an essential food on their weekly menus. With our products in stores, we also target all seasonal and passing visitors.
The largest customers are schools and kindergartens. For them, we produce finely cleaned trout fillets from which all bones are manually removed with tweezers. With this offering, we are present in the Tolmin area, Idrija–Cerkno region, Logatec, Vrhnika, Goriška, Ajdovščina, Koper, and Vipava regions.
Our advantage lies in high-quality, fresh fish, raised in clean water and fed with the best fish feed currently available in Europe. We ensure regular and punctual delivery. Fresh fish is sold at an affordable price. Smoked fish is a more expensive product, but still accessible to the average consumer.
Boutique products such as caviar, carpaccio, and cold-smoked fish are sought after by high-end restaurants or individual clients.
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