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Aquitaine
On the Nivelle, a coastal river in the Pays Basque, a native strain of brown trout survives floods and is kept alive through the dedication of a brotherhood rather than a commercial trade.
Seafood from Aquitaine.
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Until 2007, the AAPPMA Nivelle Côte Basque carried out stocking of native-strain brown trout: broodstock were captured by electrofishing in the Nivelle, then reared at the Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle fish farm by the lycée agricole Saint-Christophe. A flood that struck the Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle valley severely that year caused considerable damage to the river and destroyed the fish farm, putting an end to this artificial stocking.
The association then redirected its efforts towards natural reproduction: spawning grounds were developed from 2009 onwards along the Nivelle and its tributaries, and fish surveys by electrofishing have been conducted every autumn to monitor population trends. These surveys show a population of wild trout of 100% Nivelle strain that has been steadily increasing for more than ten years, bolstered by water treatment and sanitation efforts carried out across the catchment basin.
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Since 30 November 2006, the Confrérie des Chevaliers de la Truite de Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, a 1901-law association based in Anglet, has been dedicated to keeping this heritage alive beyond fisheries management alone. Its statutory purpose is to promote the Truite Noble du Pays Basque and salmonids within gastronomy, to protect native strains and the environment of the Nivelle basin, and to honour those who help defend or promote the commune of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle.
Appearance
Brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) of native Nivelle basin strain, supplemented, depending on the sector and open seasons, by rainbow trout introduced through angling stocking programmes.
the flood destroyed the fish farm and damaged the river, putting an end to artificial stocking.
restoration of natural spawning areas along the Nivelle and its tributaries.
fish stock surveys by electrofishing every autumn to track changes in trout and salmon populations.
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The Confrérie des Chevaliers de la Truite de Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle works primarily towards the gastronomic promotion of the Truite Noble du Pays Basque and salmonids from the Nivelle basin.
The Truite de Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle is not protected by any official quality mark. Its transmission and promotion rely on the activity of the Confrérie des Chevaliers de la Truite de Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, a 1901-law association registered on 30 November 2006, whose statutory purpose is to promote the Truite Noble du Pays Basque and salmonids in gastronomy, to protect native strains, and to safeguard the environment of the Nivelle basin.
Brotherhood
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