A significant decline in fish catch has characterized the professional fishing balance on Lake Garda, as highlighted by an analysis conducted by Filippo Gavazzoni, the vice president of the Garda Community. Invoices from wholesalers operating in the lower Brescia area reveal a worrying trend: the tons of fish caught have plummeted from 56 in 2020 to just 12 in the current season. Gavazzoni attributes part of this reduction not only to the ban on the restocking of whitefish since 2021 but also to overfishing beyond the lake’s natural capacity, along with environmental factors such as rising temperatures and the presence of invasive species.
Moreover, the situation is worsening for other species, such as the Agone, whose catch has drastically decreased from approximately 6,500 kilograms in 2022 to only 3,000 kilograms today. According to Gavazzoni, it is crucial to initiate actions to restore natural habitats and implement sustainable fishing measures that can ensure the recovery of fish populations in the lake. Only through careful and responsible management will it be possible to reverse this negative trend and preserve the aquatic biodiversity of the area.
