Aquaculture

The Synergy Of Land And Water

A film about the sustainable use of water by Austrian permaculture farmer Sepp Holzer.

Fishponds on a mountain farm: an unusual sight at these altitudes.  On an Austrian mountain, Sepp Holzer created more than 70 ponds and wetland areas covering about 3 hectares.

According to Holzer, “In these ponds and lakes, the fish are mixed in a colourful way, just like my plants.  In a number of places in the ponds I put roots and stones, about 4 to 5 meters deep.  It is important that the fish can hide, so they are not being chased all the time.  The predator fish can´t enter such a tangle of roots, so the small fry feel safe.  If they are being followed all the time they would either die of stress or be eaten.  The big fish, the predator, has to get through these roots, but the small ones are faster.

The stones also help to raise the temperature of the ponds: Heated by the sun, the stones transfer heat to the water.  And when I let only a little water run into a pond, and when there are many flat zones with stones and roots, the water heats up.  It can reach the outside temperature – sometimes 25 degrees up here on the mountain!”