Fish Farming
Company Faronika d.o.o. owned by Tolmin Angling Club was established in 2011. In 2015, new fish farming facility Faronika was built at the confluence of the Soča and the Tolminka. There are 14 pools at the facility – 10 smaller and 4 bigger ones. The Faronika fish farm gets its water from the Tolminka, which is a torrential river with temperatures between 4 and 13 degrees Celsius.
The facilities are intended for the breeding of indigenous fish species (marble trout, grayling) to help restore and increase their population and for the breeding of rainbow trout to be released into waters to support recreational fishing. Breeding for consumer use is also increasing. The new location features a building with fish and fish product processing facilities, a small shop and offices.
Marble trout fingerlings and grayling fingerlings are sold to other angling clubs, as well as to other fish breeders for further breeding. To support fishing, we mainly breed rainbow trout which is released into waters in compliance with the fishery management plan, and in volumes enabling quality fishing.
We currently produce about 50 t of rainbow trout per year. The fish are sold to our angling club as well as to other clubs and fish breeders. About 25 t of marble trout is produced for consumer use.
Fish Processing and Sale of Fish Products
The number of tourists visiting the Soča valley has rapidly increased in the last couple of years, resulting in greater demand for table fish. Because we wanted to be recognized as providers of local table fish, we have concluded agreements to sell fish to local traders and institutions. Agricultural cooperatives of the Primorska region, restaurants, kindergartens and schools may buy the following products:
- fresh fish and fresh fish fillets;
- carpaccio;
- smoked fish and smoked fish fillets;
- smoked trout spreads;
- Soča spread in collaboration with the Mlekarna Planika dairy;
- marble trout caviare.
We process and sell about 25 t of fish every year. Our competitive advantage is offering marble trout and grayling that are not offered by anyone else because the breeding of these species is demanding and time-consuming. Any product made of these fish is highly priced.
In the last two years, we have started providing increased volumes of fresh fish fillets to schools and kindergartens. Fillets are finely processed – all fish bones are removed with tweezers. This end product is available in the regions of Tolmin, Nova Gorica, Vipava, Koper, Idrija, Logatec and Vrhnika.
The Soča spread with pieces of smoked trout is a good example of collaboration between several local providers. The result of collaboration is a product representing the food production activities in the wider Soča valley. The spread contains fish from the Soča valley, cottage cheese and sour cream of the Mlekarna Planika dairy from Kobarid, and olive oil from the Goriška Brda hills. In view of the positive response from our customers, we started developing new flavours of the fish spread. The two most popular spreads are the one with algae and horseradish and the one with chilli and turmeric. Moreover, no preservatives are added to our spread. Therefore, it is fresh and of high quality.
We are proud to offer carpaccio of marble trout, grayling and brook trout. These fish are also cold smoked. All these delicacies are prepared for premium fish tasting events, but are also available to locals at local gastronomic events.
Brook trout caviare, and marble trout caviare in particular, are a world-class speciality. The caviare is available in the spawning season from December to March when we deliver it fresh to our customers – restaurants.
Customers
Our customers are mainly local traders and consumers – people from the Soča valley who buy our products in the Tolmin Agricultural Cooperative shops and shops of the Mlekarna Planika dairy. Our objective is that people living in this valley recognize the freshwater fish as an indispensable food that needs to be consumed on a weekly basis. By offering our fish in shops, we also target all transient seasonal guests.
Our major customers are schools and kindergartens. We offer them fine trout fillets with all the bones manually removed with tweezers. The product is available in the regions of Tolmin, Idrija, Cerkno, Logatec, Vrhnika, Nova Gorica, Ajdovščina, Koper and Vipava.
Our advantage is high-quality and fresh fish bred in clean waters and fed with the best fish food currently available in Europe. Our delivery is regular and punctual. Fresh fish is sold at affordable price. Smoked fish is a slightly more expensive product, but still accessible to the average consumer.
Our boutique products, such as the caviare, carpaccio and cold-smoked fish, are mainly bought by premium restaurants and individual customers.
Fish Farm Tours and Fish Tasting Experience
Fish farm tours conducted by expert staff are one of our extra promotional activities. The tours are intended for educational institutions of all levels, as well as for other organized groups. If our fish farm is visited by foreign chefs, reporters or similar gourmet groups, we also organize fish tasting events. The number of such visitors has been increasing in the last couple of years and our offer needed to adapt to this demand. These guests are mainly interested in the processing and preparation of fish.
Contact Us
FARONIKA, ribogojstvo in ribištvo d.o.o.
Dijaška ul. 15, 5220 Tolmin, Slovenija
VAT ID No.: SI46 745 530
Tel.: 031 649 074
info@faronika.si
