# Insurance for fishers, pond farmers and aquaculture in Germany

> One warm night, one failed aerator, and in the morning the trout are floating on the surface. On a fishing cutter everything depends on engine and nets; in the smokehouse on fire safety and hygiene. Coastal fisher, pond farmer or recirculating system: this page shows what to insure in Germany and why we know our way around the water.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-fishing.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Can I insure my fish stock against dying?

Yes, but not through ordinary contents insurance. Aquaculture businesses can insure their stock against lack of oxygen after equipment or power failure, severe weather, flooding and in some cases disease. Only a few specialist insurers offer this, and almost all require oxygen monitoring with an alarm. For notifiable diseases such as KHV or VHS, the Tierseuchenkasse, the state animal disease fund, also contributes to compensation.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance for the business; motor liability for vehicles, and harbours or charterers often require liability cover for cutters
- **Biggest risk:** Fish kills from lack of oxygen, equipment failure or disease, and damage to the vessel at sea
- **Basic cover from:** around €150 a year for the general liability of a small pond farm
- **Berufsgenossenschaft:** The statutory accident insurer is the SVLFG for inland fishing and aquaculture, and BG Verkehr for sea fishing
- **Often forgotten:** The fish stock itself, which is not covered by ordinary property insurance
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 03.11 Meeresfischerei, 03.12 Süßwasserfischerei, 03.21 Meeresaquakultur, 03.22 Süßwasseraquakultur, 03.30 Erbringung von Dienstleistungen für Fischerei und Aquakultur

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Oxygen runs out:** Heat, thunderstorms or a power cut make oxygen in the pond or tank drop within hours. Whole year classes die in one night.
- **Disease in the stock:** Koi herpes in carp or VHS in trout are notifiable. The authorities order culling and restrictions.
- **Flood and dam failure:** Heavy rain overflows ponds, fish escape, dams break and damage other people's land.
- **Damage to the cutter:** Engine failure, collision or grounding lay the cutter up in the middle of the season. Marine hull insurance is a specialist field of its own.
- **Smokehouse and sales:** Smoking kilns are a source of fire, and with fish, hygiene and the cold chain matter especially to customers.
- **Work on and by the water:** Falls overboard, winches, nets and wet decks: fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 3, Fire and water 4, Theft 3, Cyber 2, Downtime 5, Health 5

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers damage from dam failure, water pollution, product liability for fish and smoked products, and customers in the farm shop. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): As loss of income or stock insurance it pays when fish are lost after equipment failure, severe weather or disease. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): For aerators, pumps, oxygen systems, filters and cooling units whose failure puts the stock at risk. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): For oxygen monitoring, alarm systems and the controls of recirculating systems, without which no insurer will cover the stock. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Strongly advised): Hatchery, holding tanks, smokehouse and shop against fire, storm and, if included, flooding. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): Replaces smoking kilns, cold rooms, nets and stock for sale after fire, burglary and burst pipes. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Adds to the statutory accident insurer, whose benefits after serious accidents at sea or by the pond are limited. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Fishing businesses differ widely: a pond farm with a farm shop is cheap to insure, while a recirculating system or a cutter needs specialist insurers. Stock value, equipment and sailing area have the greatest influence.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small pond farm with farm shop, no livestock on land | around €150 to €400 a year |
| Business liability | Fish farm with smokehouse and sales to restaurants | around €400 to €1,200 a year |
| Business interruption | Stock insurance for trout worth €150,000 against equipment failure and severe weather | around €2,500 to €7,000 a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Aerators, pumps and oxygen system with a new value of €120,000 | around €500 to €1,500 a year |
| Commercial buildings | Hatchery and smokehouse with a new value of €400,000 | around €600 to €1,600 a year |

For comparison: General liability for a small pond farm costs roughly as much a year as 10 kilos of smoked trout fillets in the farm shop.

_Guide figures excluding German insurance tax, as of September 2026. There are hardly any published tariffs for aquaculture and marine hull cover because specialist insurers assess each business individually; the ranges come from our own quoting and comparable agricultural examples. Hull insurance for cutters is not included. We obtain the exact quote._

- [transparent-beraten.de: Betriebshaftpflicht in der Landwirtschaft](https://www.transparent-beraten.de/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung/arten/landwirtschaft/)
- [Neubacher Marine: Seekaskoversicherung für Fischerboote und Kutter](https://www.neubacher-marine.de/seekaskoversicherung/)
- [transparent-beraten.de: Betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung](https://www.transparent-beraten.de/betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Pond** (Small pond farms and part time businesses with a farm shop): Business liability, Commercial buildings. Together: around €500 to €1,500 a year
- **Fish farm** (Trout and carp farms with smokehouse and equipment): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Electronic equipment. Together: around €2,000 to €5,000 a year
- **Aquaculture** (Recirculating systems and larger farms with insured stock): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Electronic equipment, Business interruption, Accident insurance. Together: around €6,000 to €18,000 a year

## The worst day at the fish farm

Six things that really happen to fishers and pond farmers, put together on one sultry day in July. Tap through and see who pays.

- 03:40: A thunderstorm knocks out the power and the emergency generator does not start. The trout in two tanks suffocate. (€42,000, Paid by: Business interruption)
- 06:10: The lightning has also destroyed the oxygen probes and the alarm controls. (€8,500, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 10:30: The rotor of the large paddlewheel aerator breaks, and a replacement must be ordered by express. (€6,800, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 13:00: A customer of the farm shop falls ill after eating smoked fish with a broken cold chain. Doctor and lost earnings. (€4,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:45: After heavy rain a pond dam breaks and mud and water flow onto the neighbour's meadow and track. (€15,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 21:30: The smoking kiln overheats, and the smoking room and shop burn out. (€90,000, Paid by: Commercial buildings)

**Damage so far:** €166,800

## Practical tips from your broker

- Install oxygen monitoring with an alarm to your mobile and a tested emergency generator; without both, hardly anyone will insure the stock.
- Ask for stock insurance that includes equipment failure, severe weather and flooding, and clarify how the value of the fish is calculated.
- Have dams, inlets and outlets included in your general liability as a water and environmental risk.
- For cutters: look at hull and liability cover for vessel and crew with a specialist insurer, and state the sailing area precisely.
- If you smoke and sell fish, include product liability for food and document the cold chain.
- Register your fish farm with the animal disease fund, otherwise you put compensation for notifiable diseases at risk.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We know our way around the water:** For boats we are an underwriting agency and settle claims ourselves. For cutters and work boats we obtain hull quotes from specialist insurers and know what matters.
- **We find the few specialists:** Only a few insurers offer stock insurance for fish. As a broker we approach them directly and compare their terms.
- **Pond, smokehouse and family:** We look after farming, sales, vehicles and your private cover with one contact, in English if you prefer.
- **A family business since 1989:** Fishing businesses have often been in family hands for generations; we have been since 1989. Free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Is a fish kill covered?

Only with separate stock insurance, which covers for example lack of oxygen after equipment or power failure. Ordinary property insurance excludes animals in the water.

### What does the animal disease fund pay for fish diseases?

For notifiable diseases such as KHV or VHS it contributes to compensation for culled fish, provided you are registered and pay contributions. It does not pay the loss of income afterwards.

### How is a cutter insured?

Through marine hull insurance on the terms of German marine insurance, plus liability cover for vessel and crew. Specialist insurers offer this.

### What does insurance cost for a small pond farm?

Liability and buildings usually cost between €500 and €1,500 a year. With equipment and stock insurance it is considerably more.

### Which Berufsgenossenschaft is responsible?

For inland fishing, pond farming and aquaculture it is the SVLFG; for fishers at sea it is BG Verkehr. Both are statutory accident insurers.

### Are we liable if fish escape from our farm?

If that causes damage in other waters, for example through disease or non native species, claims may follow. General liability with environmental blocks covers that.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-fishing.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.