Management of Lake Fertő

Fish population and fishing

University of DebrecenUniversity of Debrecen

Centre for Environmental Management and Centre for Environmental Management and PolicyPolicy

7. Lakepromo Meeting & Seminar April 11-13, 2007 - Aalborg, Denmark

Fish population (1)Several surveys to examine number of species:

During the period of drying outs, all species extinct but from inflows they emerged again. Fish fauna is dominated by carp species. Dry periods did not have any signifcant effect on the species, but the canal system connecting the Lake Fertő with the Danube river

* Lakepromo survey

Date 1858 1887 1918 1926 1928 1937 1959 1973 1974 1978 1979

Fish species

12 16 20 16 28 26 29 23 20 22 23

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Date 1991 1994 2003*

2004*

2005*

Fish species

17 21 23 23 23

Fish population (2)Significant effects on population:

- colonization: changed the population (not indigenous species), resulted in decrease of water plants, competition for food

- over-colonization of fish species for commercial fishing

- alien species

- new potential diseases by new species

Present state of population:

1. Decrease of the number of fish species can be detected.

Moreover, some of the indigenous

species (tench, cruciancarp) population

decreased.

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Fish population (3)

Several not indigenous species can be found in the spectrum of the species: eel, silver crucian carp, silver carp, amur, pumpkinseed

2. Economically not utilised fish population is extremely high. The biomass of the population is 30-120 kg/ha that can be 300 kg/ha locally (next to the shore and in bays)

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Fish population (4)3. The population of such economically not used fishes is dominated by fishes eating plankton than fishes eating water plants

4. The most importan fish species (pike, pikeperch) can be estimated really hard because of lack of professional fishing

Main factors of colonization:

- amur: resulted decrease of macrophytes

- eel: caused exticntion of small fish species

- silver crucian carp: competition for carp

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Fishing (1)The Lake Fertő is extreme concenring conditions for fishing: shallow water, circulation of the sediment. However, main use of the lake was fishing since good market of fish.

Fishing rights are connected to land ownership. Before 1939, fishers could fish by leasing the right. In 1939, fishing sterted on Austria in an organised form and in 1953, the Burgenland Fishing Association was established. After the II world war, the intensification of fish farming started (colonization of not indigenous species) changed the profile of fishing both in quality and in quantity.

1889: first Fishing Law entered into force in Hungary.

After II world war: April 4 Fishing Association was established but dismissed in 1955

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Fishing (2)

1955-1960: Fishing was organised by the Minstry of Agriculture (Experimental Electric Fishing Plant)

1960-2004: Fishing Association of Győr

1970: mutual contract between the Fishing Association of Burgenland and in Győr on fishing utilisation. Burgenland was to provide 4 million of eel annually, and Győr was to provide 6 tons of carp and several hundred thousand, mainly, pikeperch.

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Fishing (3)1.July.2004: Fertő-Hanság National Park and North Transdanubian Environment

and Water Directorate have the fishing rights for 15 years

- 3+1 fishing sectors on the Lake

- 9 main traditional fishermen

- area for fishing: 1744 ha

Fertő-Hanság National Park:

- scientific determination of fish fauna

- natural fish fauna strategy

- fishing as nature protection measure

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Cross-border cooperation (1)2002: Phare CBC project for the cross-border cooperation (coordinated by University of Debrecen)

Partners: - Fertő-Hanság National Park

- Lake Fertő Biological Station (Illmitz)

- Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park

The objective of the cooperation is the development of a fish farming strategy taking into account of the beneficiaries: municipalities, inhabitants, economic actors, Ngo-s, public sector.

Main goals of the project:

1. Collection and assessment of existing data, collection of new data where necessary

2. Development of a fishing strategy

3. Consider potential sources

4. Widening the capacity of the actors of the area

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Cross-border cooperation (2)During the project, 3 sampling (2003, 2004, 2005) occured on the Lake Fertő, mainly along the shore of the lake and in the direct area of the plant vegetation. Name of the species and number of them were registered.

Locations of sampling:

Rakosi Bay

Kőbokori and

Homoki bay

Hegykői and

Madárvárta Öböl Hanság canal

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Cross-border cooperation (3)Results of the samplings:

- present state of fish population is worse the required (quality and quantity)

- the population of fishes of economic value is decreasing, younger generations are missing

- there are few prey species of strong population: bleak, ziege, carp bream

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy

Cross-border cooperation (4)2005, 22-23 September: Conference

Cooperation for the Development of Fish Management at Lake Fertő

This conference provided both Austrian and Hungarian stakeholders a good chance to meet and discuss current problems of Lake Fertő. Main topics of the conference:

- water management

- fishing

- recreation, angling

- fish fauna and biology

University of Debrecen Centre for Environmental

Management and Policy