Atelier Fischer restaurant faces scrutiny for serving protected fish

The Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Fischer in St. Gilgen, located at Wolfgangsee, has come under scrutiny after reportedly serving a protected fish species. Gourmet critics Jacqueline Pfeiffer and Wolfgang Fischer discovered a “Taco vom Frauennervling” on the menu, referring to the Frauennerfling, a carp species that is strictly protected and prohibited from being fished or consumed in Austria.

The restaurant management initially addressed the spelling error in the menu but defended the incident, stating that the fish was a “catch of the week” from their private pond. While the restaurant claimed that they do not target protected species and that the fish was an accidental catch that could not be released due to animal welfare reasons, critics have questioned why the species was featured on the menu if it was not a deliberate catch.