14.01.2024
Augsburg, January 14, 2024
The new motto ‘Experience nature’ brought all the participants together. JAGEN UND FISCHEN 2024 took place from 12 to 14 January at Messe Augsburg and was a resounding success. The traditional annual kick-off to the trade fair season attracted around 23,000 industry experts, hunters, anglers and nature enthusiasts and offered an extensive program with roughly 300 exhibitors and 20,000 square meters of exhibition space.
The trade fair in Augsburg is one of the largest trade fairs for hunting, fishing and outdoor pursuits, and is the highlight in this sector in southern Germany. The meeting place for hunters, anglers, nature and outdoor enthusiasts was also an international hit: 17 countries were represented among the exhibitors. Visitors from outside Germany, mainly from Austria and Switzerland, also made the journey to visit the trade fair.
JAGEN UND FISCHEN is more than a traditional trade fair - true to its motto “Experience nature”, it’s a place it is a place of discovery, exchanges and a passion for nature. The trade fair focused on the connection between humans and nature, demonstrated the important interaction between hunting, fishing and the environment, and offered some great impressions and unique experiences to young and old alike. Visitors and exhibitors were able to experience this for themselves in three packed exhibition halls over the trade fair weekend. They had the opportunity to discover innovative products and services and to expand their knowledge of the connections between humans and the environment.
The hunting forum covered interesting topics including wolves in local forests and goose management, while the fishing forum facilitated the sharing of knowledge on topics such as crayfish in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and echo sounder technology. The forest of the future illustrated the complex process of the native forest and its impact on climate change.
The adventure worlds were also impressive. Visitors were able to discover native fish and crabs up close and personal in the fishing adventure world, and children were given the opportunity to obtain a fishing diploma. The hunting adventure world took the theme of hunting as a cultural heritage and enabled visitors to experience the local forest and its animals in a tangible and immediate way. The show kitchens enabled interested visitors to experience ways of preparing game and fish. The full use of the animal was demonstrated, from cutting and filleting to the preparation of delicious dishes to promote awareness of sustainable management.
A number of other events were held in addition to these highlights, including a demonstration of hunting dogs by the Jagdgebrauchshundeverein Augsburg e. V. (Augsburg hunting dog association) with over 50 breeds and dog types and a bird of prey flight show. A new feature this year was the presentation and hands-on making of tree climbing seats by Progressive Jagd (progressive hunting) and hands-on forest activity with logging and emergency rescue in the forest provided by the Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau (social insurance for agriculture, forestry and horticulture).
JAGEN UND FISCHEN also emphasizes the importance of partnerships and cooperation. Similar to every year, the Fischereiverband Schwaben (Swabian fishing association) and the district of Swabia worked closely together to make the fishing adventure world such an outstanding event, while the Jägervereinigung Augsburg e. V. (Augsburg hunting association) shared the stage with the Bayerischer Jagdverband e. V. - BJV (Bavarian hunting association). The game show kitchen was jointly organized by the Augsburg hunting association and the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (AELF), and this year the state fishing associations of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg once again jointly hosted the Süddeutsche Hallenmeisterschaft im Castingsport (Southern Germany indoor casting championships) for the second time as a highlight of the trade fair.
Lorenz A. Rau, CEO Messe Augsburg: “JAGEN UND FISCHEN 2024 was a terrific success. Under the motto ‘Experience nature’, we had our finger on the pulse of the times - exhibitors and visitors alike were enthusiastic, and we offered an unforgettable nature experience that will remain in the memory long after the visit to the trade fair. We would like to thank all the exhibitors, partners and visitors for their support and commitment!”
Bayerischer Jagdverband e. V. (Bavarian hunting association), Ernst Weidenbusch: “The BJV was delighted to have another opportunity at JAGEN UND FISCHEN to communicate the service that hunters provide to society and that we were also able to reach many children and young people. People are now feeling a greater connection to nature, which is also reflected in our current animal welfare campaign which, along with our app offers, was extremely popular.”
Jägervereinigung Augsburg e. V. (Augsburg hunting association), Hans Fürst, Chair: “We can't thank Messe Augsburg enough. It was once again an excellent collaboration, and we received active support both in the run-up to and during JAGEN UND FISCHEN. As we say: after the trade fair is before the trade fair!”
District of Swabia, Dr Oliver Born, Head of the Fischereifachberatung (fisheries consultancy): “We had numerous discussions at various technical levels. Visitors were fascinated by the world and life under water, and we were able to convey so much knowledge. I’m particularly proud of my team, because despite extreme weather and flooding conditions, we managed to present well over 30 species of native fish.”
Fischereiverband Schwaben e. V. (Swabia fishing association), Thomas Lechner, CEO: “We had an excellent turnout, particularly on Saturday and Sunday, and the fishing adventure world was once again the meeting point for representatives of the fishing sector in southern Germany.”
Jagdgebrauchshundeverein Augsburg e. V. (Augsburg hunting dog association), Sophia Wörle, Vice Chair: “We had some terrific days; there were lots of families, hunters and people interested in dogs which created a nice mix and a great atmosphere. We are very grateful to the trade fair for giving us, the hunting dog community, the opportunity to be present here in this way.”
Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry, Ralf Gang, Head of Forestry: “As a partner of the JAGEN UND FISCHEN trade fair, we’re so grateful that we were able to attend this event, and that were also allowed to set up this stand with relative freedom and generosity and receive so much support.”
Carl Zeiss, Carsten Backhaus: “The Augsburg trade fair is particularly attractive for us as exhibitors, because it’s not far away and just a nice, informal trade fair where you can really get to know the customers and discuss our products in depth.”
Swarovski Optik Vertriebs GmbH, Alexander Wetzel: “I think JAGEN UND FISCHEN is the most important trade fair in southern Germany, as it’s one of the major hubs in the hunting and fishing sector. I’m looking forward to the trade fair being held here again next year as it was this year.”
Angelcenter Nordschwaben (North Swabia angling center), Marc Haunstetter: “This was Angelcenter Nordschwaben’s first time at JAGEN UND FISCHEN and we're thrilled with the number of visitors we had and the fact that the trade fair went so smoothly. Long may it continue!”
Sportex-Climax-Kryston, Manuel Ostermeier: “JAGEN UND FISCHEN in Augsburg is of course a ‘home game’ for us as a Munich-based company. This is the first time we've participated on a large scale, but we had a great audience, super visitors who were extremely interested and we enjoyed some fabulous discussions.”
Landig + Lava GmbH & Co. KG, Benedikt Oßwald: “We've been attending JAGEN UND FISCHEN in Augsburg for a number of years and have always received positive feedback, and we look forward to coming back every year."
JENZI Fishing, Thorsten Ahrens: “We had so many experiences, received lots of visitors and our talks were very well attended, which is why we also have a presentation stand here - Augsburg is one of the most important locations for hunting and fishing. That’s why we return year after year.”
Messe Augsburg is an economic driver whose influence extends far beyond the borders of Bavaria. Augsburg is an attractive location which has highly structured trade fair grounds that are also easily accessible from outside Germany, a high level of personal service and the charm of Germany's second oldest city. Messe Augsburg is a full-service partner for trade fairs and events: 7 halls that provide 48,000 m² of gross floor space, 10,000 m² of outdoor exhibition grounds, a conference center, four entrance areas, excellent transport links and 3,650 parking spaces in the immediate vicinity offer a wide range of event options that can be individually tailored to the client’s requirements. www.messeaugsburg.de
