Quick viewing(Text Mode)

The State and Perspective of Danube Huchen (Hucho Hucho) in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Arch

The State and Perspective of Danube Huchen (Hucho Hucho) in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Arch

Arch. Pol. . (2013) 21: 155-160 DOI 10.2478/aopf-2013-0012 RESEARCH ARTICLE

The State and Perspective of (Hucho hucho)in and

Samir Muhamedagiæ, Emir Habiboviæ

Received – 28 February 2013/Accepted – 15 July 2013. Published online: 30 September 2013; ©Inland Institute in Olsztyn, Poland Citation: Muhamedagiæ S., Habiboviæ E. 2013 – The State and Perspective of Danube huchen (Hucho hucho) in – Arch. Pol. Fish. 21: 155-160.

Abstract. This paper focuses on the historical and present and socioeconomic importance. It is exceptionally occurrence of Danube huchen, Hucho hucho (L.), in Bosnia highly-appreciated fish and the most attrac- and Herzegovina. Danube huchen currently inhabits all large tive fish for sport fishing. The largest salmonid and systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina that it inhabited in the past, except for the River, from which it one of the largest freshwater fish species in Bosnia disappeared in the 1970s because of intense water pollution. and Herzegovina, the Danube huchen can grow to Nevertheless, some populations of this species survive in considerable lengths and weights of up to 1.5 m and Fojnièka rijeka, Lašva and , which are small, mountainous tributaries of the Bosna River. Bosnia and 50 kg, although, it is usually considerably smaller at Herzegovina has never participated in the IUCN Red Book of up to 10 kg (Vukoviæ and Ivanoviæ 1971, Vukoviæ freshwater , but, since the Danube huchen is 1977, Aganoviæ 1979, Sofradñija 2009). The largest endangered in its distribution area, protection, conservation, recorded specimen of Danube huchen in was caught and enhancement measures must be undertaken throughout the area in which this noble fish occurs. in 1938 in the River near the town of Fo a and weighed about 58 kg (Sofradñija 2009). Keywords: Hucho, distribution, river, salmonids, species Salmonids, as one of the most numerously repre- conservation sented groups of fish in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are relatively well studied. In most cases, studies have in- cluded indigenous salmonid species of the Adriatic Introduction basin: obtusirostris (Heckel), Cuvier, (Heckel), etc. (for The Danube huchen, Hucho hucho (L.), well-known example: Èurèiæ 1938, Jankoviæ 1961, Kosoriæ and in the Western Balkans region under the folk name Vukoviæ 1969, 1971, Berberoviæ et al. 1970, mladica, is an iconic fish species in Bosnia and Mikavica et al. 2002, Snoj et al. 2002, 2010, Herzegovina of great historical and cultural value Glamuzina and Bartuloviæ 2006, Glamuzina et al. 2010), or they have been included in some general S. Muhamedagiæ [+], E. Habiboviæ studies about salmonids. Nevertheless, there is an in- Center for Aquaculture and Fisheries significant number of papers about Danube huchen, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and data about this species can be obtained only University of Zmaja od Bosne 8, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from studies that focus on fish populations in some e-mail: [email protected] river systems of the Danube river basin. 156 Samir Muhamedagiæ, Emir Habiboviæ

Distribution and population structure The largest population of Danube huchen was noted in the and in the Una sub-basin. The hydrographic system of Bosnia and Herzegovina These rivers are in abundant in salmonids: brown is well developed. The total length of watercourses in , Salmo trutta L.; grayling, Thymallus thymallus Bosnia and Herzegovina is about 20,919 km (average (L.); Danube huchen; and cyprinids: barbel, Barbus 0.41 km km-2), of which almost half (9,011 km) are barbus (L.); common nase; Danube roach, Rutilus P watercourses longer than 10 km. Runoff waters from pigus Lacep de. Danube huchen comprises shares Bosnia and Herzegovina are flow in two directions: from 2.9 % (Una River) to 3.8 % (Sana River) of the toward the Danube River – Basin (75.7%) total fish populations. The abundance in these wa- and to the Adriatic Sea – Adriatic Basin (24.3%) ters of Danube huchen is the result of good water (Barbaliæ et al. 1998). quality in the upper and middle course of the rivers, Danube huchen is widespread in the river sys- and individual and collective protection by anglers tems of the Danube River basin in Bosnia and and sport fishing associations. Herzegovina (Fig. 1). They inhabit the upper and The largest Danube huchen specimens are middle courses of large mountain rivers, and move to caught in the Drina River. Although three large dams small rivers and streams only during spawning. They were built on this river, this species has adapted and spawn in the spring in March and April and some- sustainable populations are observed in the times in May (Vukoviæ and Ivanoviæ 1971, Vukoviæ newly-formed reservoirs. They can be found in al- 1977, 1982, Aganoviæ 1979, Mikavica 1987, most all tributaries of the Drina River both through- Sofradñija 2009). In general, Danube huchen is dis- out the year as well as during spawning. Danube tributed in all the waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina huchen comprises less than 1 % of the total fish pop- that are inhabited by common nase, Chondrostoma ulations in sub-basin. The reasons for this are nasus (L.), which is its basic food. multiple: low water flow during summer and fall, wa- Danube huchen currently inhabits all ter pollution, weak protection measures, and the large river systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina that it inhabited in the past, ex- cept for the Bosna River, from which it dis- appeared in the 1970s because of intense water pollution. Nevertheless, some popu- lations of this species survive in Fojnièka rijeka, Lašva and Krivaja, which are small, mountainous tributaries of the Bosna River. Today, Danube huchen can be successfully angled in the main courses of the Una, Sana, Vrbas, and Drina river systems and some of their tributaries (Table 1) (Vukoviæ 1977, 1982, Aganoviæ 1979, Sofradñija 2009). In studies conducted from 2000 to 2012, it was determined that Danube huchen populations were stable in all of the habitats of their natural distribution (see Appendix for list of studies). The exception Figure 1. Distribution of Danube huchen (H. hucho) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. is the Bosna River, which is quite polluted. The State and Perspective of Danube huchen (Hucho hucho) in Bosnia and Herzegovina 157

Table 1 Distribution of Danube huchen (H. hucho) in some watercourses Length of watercourse in- Total length habited by Danube huchen Sub-basin River Tributary of watercourse (km) (km) Una Una main course (1) 212.0 131.7 Klokot (2) 4.5 4.1 Krušnica (3) 7.5 6.1 Sana main course (4) 140.2 108.6 Banjica (5) 8.1 2.5+ Kozica (6) 8.7 6.0+ Gomjenica (7) 18.7 12.0 Una River system 399.7 271.0 Vrbas Vrbas main course (8) 235.0 160.0 (9) 34.5 6.0 Vrbas River system 269.5 166.0 Bosna Krivaja main course (10) 73.1 73.1 Bioštica (11) 17.0 14.0 Stupèanica (12) 29.9 5.5 Oèevica (13) 8.7 2.1+ Lašva (14) 47.5 22.5 Fojnièka rijeka (15) 39.5 32.5 Bosna River system 215.7 147.6 Drina Drina main course (16) 346.0 261.9 Èehotina (17) 125.0 24.8* Bistrica (18) 34.5 4.0+ (19) 19.5 3.0+ Praèa (20) 59.2 2.5+ (21) 220.0 39.9** (22) 72.0 17.0*** Drinjaèa main course (23) 78.5 44.9 Jadar (24) 64.7 17.1 Drina River system 919.2 415.1 Total 1804.1 999.7

Source: own studies and sport fishing association surveys * continue in ** continue in and Montenegro *** continue in Serbia and Montenegro + enters only during spawning mismanagement of fish stocks. Studies have also other projects in waters, the use of streams as roads shown that the habitats in tributaries where Danube in forest exploitation, water pollution, using streams huchen spawn are well preserved and that this spe- as garbage dumps, for gravel and sand extraction, cies spawns successfully in them. Mountain streams water use for irrigation, urbanization of coasts and and smaller rivers provide optimal conditions for the waterbeds, etc. Each sub-basin inhabited by Danube growth of young fish, and they can represent up to huchen has specific types of habitat degradation, 50.0 % of the total fish population in these streams and, thus, should be considered individually. (streams no. 5,6,7,13,19, etc.). The Drina River and its tributaries are clean and water quality is good, so the greatest problems in this Habitat changes region are the large dams on the Drina and a number of small hydropower facilities on its tributaries. In the The reasons for habitat destruction and degradation near future, the Drina River might lose its course and are numerous: the construction of engineering and run only in the lower plain segment. The impact of 158 Samir Muhamedagiæ, Emir Habiboviæ these dams on the fish is selective. The Danube least the current state of salmonid populations huchen is well adapted to the habitat conditions in the through various projects, most of which are interna- reservoirs (Višegrad and Peruæac) on the upper course tional in scope. However, the current difficult eco- of Drina River. According to Mikavica et al. (1991) nomic situation and the consequences of the war they are inhabited by up to 15 % of the total fish popu- tend to trump notions of protecting endangered spe- lation in the Peruæac Reservoir, as well as in the course cies or their habitats. Measures that are being imple- of the Drina River in this area. In contrast, the Danube mented or have to be implemented in the future to huchen has completely vanished from the Zvornik protect, sustain, and improve huchen populations in Reservoir, in the lower course of the Drina River. Bosnia and Herzegovina are as follows: Many small hydropower facilities have been built on Habitat protection. Although the waters of Drina River tributaries in the last twenty years, which Bosnia and Herzegovina are inhabited by a large have affected Danube huchen spawning significantly, number of endemic and indigenous salmonids, there and are especially detrimental during summer and fall is no program at the state level for protecting endan- when water levels are low. gered fish species. Habitats, however, are well pro- The greatest habitat degradation has occurred in tected at the local level thanks to the enthusiasm and the Bosnia and Vrbas sub-basins located in central love for salmonids of scientists and anglers, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the industrial cen- the past ten years protected habitats have been desig- ter of the former Yugoslavia and the consequences of nated in each municipality were studies were con- industrial pollution are still notable today. This area ducted. Permanent bans on fishing and all other also has the densest human population, which fur- activities such as dam construction, gravel and sand thers pollutes rivers with waste waters. High unem- extraction, swimming, etc. have been implemented ployment and poverty also leads to excessive fishing in these habitats. Additionally, intensive huchen and poaching, and in many cases the fish caught are broodstock spawning and young fish rearing, which an important source of food. Minimum habitat deg- are monitored by scientific institutions, is supported radation and the strictest fish protection measures in them. are found in the Una sub-basin, where hydropower Artificial breeding. Breeding salmonid species in facilities are rare, pollution is minimal, and a large Bosnia and Herzegovina always been of great signifi- number of streams are protected. Additionally, in the cance. Danube huchen fry is reared using two meth- largest part of this area salmonid “catch and release” ods: artificially in hatcheries and naturally in angling is practiced. breeding and growing streams. Reproducing Danube Generally, all waters in Bosnia and Herzegovina huchen fry for stocking was organized as early as in are more or less burdened by industrial pollution and 1903 on the Vrelo Bosne fish farm near Sarajevo that from agricultural lands and facilities. The biggest (Hars

Stocking. According to the Law for Freshwater which this noble fish occurs. Implementing these Fisheries, sport fishing associations are obliged to measures at the local level is spatially and temporally stock their fishing waters. Stocking programs are per- restricted. Assembling scientists and professionals formed successfully annually under the supervision from different specialties into individual teams with of federal and scientific institutions. One of the stock- the goal of protecting, conserving, and enhancing ing methods employed is population translocation, populations of salmonids provides a firm foundation which is done by transferring young into breeding for more radical action. Therefore, it is essential to streams in areas with low populations, but only start compiling project documentation and develop- within the same sub-basins. Transporting fish to ing strategies as soon as possible, and to support other sub-basins is prohibited. these efforts with basic research activities such as sci- Angler education. This is a very important mea- entific networking, identifying fish distribution and sure for protecting and improving fisheries. In addi- abundance, and DNA typing to permit applying for tion to compulsory regulations, anglers must assistance from relevant EU and international insti- understand the importance of preserving habitats tutions (FP7, IPA, etc). and indigenous fish populations. Special attention is . S.M., and E.H. contributed mate- focused on educating children, whether or not they Autor contributions rials and wrote the manuscript. are anglers. Lessons in school and in the field, learn- ing about salmonid farming, and participating in stocking programs have all contributed vigorously to a growing awareness among children and youth. References Legal regulations for Danube huchen protection. In 2004, the Law for Freshwater Fisheries of the Fed- Aganoviæ M. 1979 – Salmonid fish species and their breeding eration of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted. De- – Svjetlost, Sarajevo, 320 p. (in Serbo-Croatian). Barbaliæ Z., Ristiæ D., Anðeliæ N., Hrkaš D., Sariæ A. 1998 – spite its many shortcomings, it has contributed to the Frame water management base of Bosnia and improved protection and conservation of fish stocks Herzegovina – Vodoprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine, and fishing waters. In 2012, the Law was adapted to Sarajevo, 282 p. (in Bosnian). comply with EU legislation, and it will come into force Berberoviæ L., Æuriæ M., Hadñiselimoviæ R., Sofradñija A. at the end of 2013. In this new Law, the protection of 1970 – Chromosome complement of Salmothymus obtusirostris oxyrhynchus (Steindachner) – Acta Biol. habitats, fish populations, and fish resources manage- Iugosl., Genetika 2: 56-63 (in Bosnian). ment are priorities. According to the Law, the Danube Èurèiæ V. 1938 – River and its salmonids huchen closed season is from 1st January, to 31st () – Štamparija Risto V. Saviæ, Sarajevo, 89 p. May, the minimum angling length is 70 cm, and (in Serbo-Croatian). catches are limited to two huchen per angler annually. Glamuzina B., Bartuloviæ V. 2006 – Some characteristics of The Law also permits sport fishing organizations to the endemic dentex trout, Salmo dentex (Heckel, 1851) from the Neretva River, Bosnia Herzegovina – Ribarstvo implement even more rigorous measures for angling. 64: 59-64 (in Croatian). Glamuzina B., Pavlièeviæ J., Bogut I. Snoj A. 2010 – Endemic from the Neretva River – systematic problems – In: Proc. First International Symposium of Fisheries and Recommendation for future research Fishing Tourism, Bosnia and Herzegovina, , 23-24 June 2010, 29-38 (in Croatian). Bosnia and Herzegovina has never participated in the Hars

instituta NR Srbije (Ed.) S. Stankoviæ, Nauèno delo, Bel- Vukoviæ T. 1977 – Fishes of Bosnia and Herzegovina – IGKRO grade, Knjiga 5: 3-31 (in Serbo-Croatian). „Svjetlost“ – OOUR Zavod za udñbenike, Sarajevo, 205 p. Kosoriæ Ð., Vukoviæ T. 1969 – A study of possibilities of (in Serbo-Croatian). hybridization of salmonid species of the Neretva river Vukoviæ T. 1982 – Fish Systematic – In: Freshwater fisheries confluence – Ichthyologia, 1: 57-67 (in (Eds.) C. Bojèiæ, L. Debeljak, T. Vukoviæ, B. Serbo-Croatian). Jovanoviæ-Kršljanin, K. Apostolski, B. Ranièanin, M. Kosoriæ Ð.,Vukoviæ T. 1971 – About Salmo marmoratus Turk, S. Volk, Ð. Drecun, D. Habekoviæ, Ð. Hristiæ, N. Cuvier (Pisces, Salmonidae) Spawning in the Neretva Fijan, K. Pañur, I. Bunjevac, Ð. Maroševiæ, Jugoslovenska River confluence – Godišnjak Biološkog instituta medicinska naklada, Zagreb, 99-168. (in Univerziteta u Sarajevu, vol. XXIV, Sarajevo (in Serbo-Croatian) Serbo-Croatian). Mikavica D. 1987 – Longitudinal and weight growth of the huchen (Hucho hucho) in Drina River – Ribarstvo Appendix: Jugoslavije 42: 81-86 (in Serbo-Croatian). Mikavica D., Muhamedagiæ S., Dizdareviæ F., Saviæ N. 2002 – Fish base study for Middle Bosnia Canton Idioecological characteristics of Adriatic trout (Ribolovno-gospodarska osnova za podruèje Salmothymus obtursirostris oxyrhynchus (Steiend. 1882) Srednjebosanskog kantona) (2008). Faculty of Agricul- – In: Proc. Symposium of livestock production with inter- ture and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 262 p. national participation, Struga, Republic of Macedonia, Fish base study for first fishing zone of fishing area 4 – Klokot University “St. Ciril and Methodius” Skopje, 171-178 (in River (Ribolovno-gospodarska osnova za Prvu ribolovnu Bosnian). zonu ribolovnog podruèja 4 – Rijeka Klokot) (2009). Fac- Mikavica D., Sofradñija A., Dizdareviæ F. 1991 – Ecological ulty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 80 p. and ichthyological characteristics of Drina River – Fish base study for fishing area 7 in Kljuè municipality Poljoprivredni fakultet Sarajevo i Zajednica sportsko (Ribarska osnova za ribolovno podruèje 7 opæine Kljuè) ribolovnih podruèja Drine, Sarajevo, 127 p. (in (2012). Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Serbo-Croatian). Sarajevo. 197 p. Snoj A., Glamuzina B., Razpet A., Zablocki J., Bogut I., Fish base study for fishing area 2 in Buñim municipality Lerceteau-Köhler E., Pojskiæ N., Sušnik S. 2010 – (Ribolovno-gospodarska osnova ribolovnog podruèja 2 Resolving taxonomic uncertainties using molecular sys- na teritoriji opæine Buñim) (2011). Faculty of Agriculture tematics: Salmo dentex and the Balkan trout community and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 191 p. – Hydrobiologia 651: 199-212. Fish base study for fishing area 3 in Cazin municipality Snoj A., Melkiè E., Sušnik S., Muhamedagiæ S., Dovè P. 2002 – (Ribolovno-gospodarska osnova ribolovnog podruèja 3 DNA phylogeny supports revised classification of na teritoriji opæine Cazin) (2010). Faculty of Agriculture Salmothymus obtusirostris – Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 77: 399-411. and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 193 p. Sofradñija A. 2009 – Freshwater fishes of Bosnia and Fish base study for Zenica-Doboj Canton (Ribarska osnova za Herzegovina – Vijeæe Kongresa bošnjaèkih podruèje Zenièko-dobojskog kantona) (2012). Faculty of intelektualaca, Sarajevo, 355 p. (in Bosnian). Agriculture and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 355 p. Vukoviæ T., Ivanoviæ B. 1971 – Freshwater fishes of Yugoslavia – Medium-term program of development and improvement of Zemaljski muzej BiH, Sarajevo. 268 p. (in Serbo-Croatian). fisheries in the fishing area of Bratunac municipality (Srednjoroèni program razvoja i unapreðenja ribarstva za ribarsko podruèje opštine Bratunac) (2010). Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Sarajevo. 193 p.

Top View