In the third video of the VeriFish storytelling campaign, Máté Juhász, Hungarian fisher and ecologist, offers a perspective that connects fisheries, ecology, and cultural heritage in a very direct way.
Speaking from Lake Tisza, more precisely from the section of the Tisza River connected to the lake, Máté explains the purpose of the fishing activity shown in the video: the targeted removal of bighead and silver carp, two non-native species that have become widespread in Hungary’s natural waters. These fish were introduced in the 1960s with the aim of increasing fishpond yields, but after escaping into natural ecosystems, they spread rapidly and are now found in waters across the country.
For years, it was believed that the conditions in these waters would not allow them to reproduce successfully. That assumption has since proven false. As Máté notes, successful spawning is now increasingly observed in natural waters, which means these species are no longer just present, but actively establishing themselves. This matters because they compete strongly with native species for both habitat and food, putting additional pressure on already vulnerable freshwater ecosystems.
Máté presents selective fishing as one practical response to this challenge. In his account, species introduced by humans and now overpopulated can be effectively reduced through this kind of fishing activity. And this does not apply only to bighead and silver carp, but more broadly to invasive, non-native fish species that disrupt ecological balance.
What makes his testimony especially relevant is that he does not describe fishing only as extraction. Instead, he frames it as a form of ecological intervention. In this case, fishing becomes part of the effort to reduce the pressure on native species and support healthier aquatic ecosystems.
At the same time, Máté underlines that this work also has a cultural dimension. Selective fishing is carried out using traditional tools, and in his view this means it contributes not only to ecological goals, but also to the preservation of fishing knowledge and heritage in a modern context. This is an important point that is often overlooked: sustainable fisheries are not only about environmental outcomes, but also about maintaining local practices, skills, and identities connected to water and food.
There is also a food system dimension to this story. Much of the fish caught through this activity is suitable for human consumption and can be placed on the commercial market. In other words, the removal of invasive species can also provide a high-quality raw material for the kitchen. Máté therefore recommends these fish to consumers who are looking for products that come from natural waters, adding that by purchasing them, people also support the work of fishers helping to remove invasive species from those ecosystems.
This is where Máté’s story becomes especially relevant to the wider goals of VeriFish. Seafood sustainability is often discussed through data, indicators, and policy frameworks. Those are necessary. But stories like this show the practical reality behind them. They reveal that sustainability can also mean restoring balance, responding to ecological disruption, valuing traditional knowledge, and helping consumers understand the wider effects of what they buy.
Through the storytelling campaign, VeriFish highlights voices from across Europe that bring sustainability closer to lived experience. Máté Juhász’s contribution is a strong reminder that fisheries can play more than one role at once: ecological, cultural, and nutritional.
