I consider myself lucky to still be able to fish in the Kattegat sea. Due to overfishing, pollution, and changes in the currents, this sea is not as bountiful as it once was. Fortunately, there is still enough to satisfy the casual hobbyist.
The most common fish to catch in these coastal waters include
- Mackerel
- Cod
- Garfish
- Salmon and trout
- A variety of flatfish
These are all delicious fish that can be a lot of fun to catch. They are also very easy to cook, especially with a solar cooker!
Warning! The video contains footage of a fish being dispatched (killed), cooked and eaten.
None of it is graphic, but some viewers may wish to skip the footage between 0:49 and 01:05.
Recipe for solar-baked garfish in the gosun
You can cook all sorts of fish with solar cooking, but the Gosun Sport and other vacuum-tube cookers are particularly appropriate when cooking garfish.
Ingredients
1 garfish (cleaned)
Salt
Spices (eg. pepper, garlic powder, thyme)
Fresh, quality butter or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Step 1 – Sprinkle salt and your preferred spices on the fish
Step 2 – Add butter (or olive oil) to the fish’s body cavity
Step 3 – Wrap the fish up in baking parchment/paper and place it in the tray of your Gosun solar cooker (or other vacuum tube cooker). Insert the tray into the cooker.
Step 4 – Place the cooker in the sun (oriented toward the sun) and leave for 35-45 minutes. You can use a thermometer if you like.
Step 5 – Check for doneness and serve (side dishes are optional).
Guidelines for sustainable hobby fishing
It goes without saying that small-scale hobby fishing is easier on marine ecosystems than ripping up the seafloor with massive trawlers and dragnets. Nevertheless, there are some key points that can help us ensure this hobby can be enjoyed by future generations too.
- Stay informed! Fish from heavily polluted waterways should not be eaten.
- Respect the restrictions on catch size, quotas and seasons, so future generations will be able to fish, too!
- Clean up your trash!
- Safety first! Don’t drink alcohol and wear slippery shoes if you are standing on a pile of rocks. Accidents will happen!
- If you’re going to keep the fish you catch, dispatch (kill) them as quickly and humanely as legally possible. Don’t take more fish than you can eat!
- If you are going to return the fish to the water, do so quickly and carefully with minimal handling. Wet your hands if you have to handle the fish (or better yet – handle it in the water) – this minimizes any damage to its scales, skin, and membranes
- Treat the fish with respect. Don’t play with it or make it suffer unnecessarily.
- Engage with your community to ensure waterways remain clean and free of pollution.
I’ve been fishing since I was 3 years old and I encourage parents to introduce their kids to this past time early on. Done right, it instills respect for life, nature and our ecosystems. It will also give the child a vital understanding of where our food comes from (as opposed to only ever seeing its anonymous, processed form in the supermarket).
