ŠATROVIĆ L. AND ŠATROVIĆ E. ASSESSMENT OF ICHTHYOFAUNAL DAMAGE OF THE NERETVA RIVER 97 RESEARCH CASE REPORT ASSESSMENT OF ICHTHYOFAUNAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY INAPPROPRIATE HUMAN ARRANGEMENT OF THE NERETVA RIVER: CASE EXPERT EXAMINATION Lejla Šatrović1*, Edin Šatrović1 1Department of Veterinary State and Forensic Medicine ABSTRACT *Corresponding author: The Department of Veterinary State and Forensic Medicine of Lejla Šatrović, MS, Senior Assistant the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Department of Veterinary State and Forensic Medicine received a request for ichthyofaunal damage assessment in the Veterinary Faculty, University of fishing area of rivers, tributaries and lakes in the municipality of Sarajevo Konjic. The damage was caused by cleaning activities, removal Zmaja od Bosne 90 Sarajevo/Bosnia and Herzegovina of sediment from the riverbed and damage repair activities on Phone: +38733729127 the banks of the upper course of the Neretva River, which was ORCID: 0000-0001-5962-6794 carried out with certain irregularities that are not in accordance E-mail: [email protected] with the granted permit. Such irresponsible human activities Original Submission: inevitably have an impact on the living world of the aquatic 26 October 2020 ecosystem and often cause long-term harmful consequences. Revised Submission: 30 November 2020 Through the presentation of this case, our main goal is to present Accepted: the different types of harmful consequences resulting from such 14 December 2020 activities as well as the methodology of their calculation. In addition, the paper also points to violations of certain laws and bylaws governing this segment. Keywords: Ichthyofauna, Neretva, direct damage, indirect damage, assessment doi.org/10.51607/22331360.2021.70.1.97 98 VETERINARIA VOL. 70 • ISSUE 1 • 2021 INTRODUCTION in physico-chemical water parameters, the destruction of suitable habitats and preventing Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has significant fish migration during spawning, certain parts of water resources, which are one of the important this river became cyprinid zones and the number factors of general economic development. Based of salmonids in the upper course of the Neretva on the consideration of its natural resources, B&H River has decreased to the limits of extinction has significant potential for aquaculture, especially (Muhamedagić et al., 2008). The complex of for the production of freshwater fish species. In various interventions by which man daily disrupts addition, existing resources also provide excellent natural ecological processes and the diversity of conditions for sport fishing and fishing-based ichthyofauna also includes the exploitation of tourism (Hamzić, 2003). forest complexes and the creation of erosive areas, road construction and formation of settlements The Neretva River is one of the longest along rivers and river valleys, wastewater and watercourses in B&H (225 kilometers (km)), other facilities built along rivers, unregulated and in terms of water richness it only lags behind garbage dumps, gravel exploitation, landscaping, the Drina River. Neretva springs at an altitude of removal of stumps, etc. All these activities lead to 1.095 meters (m) below the mountains Zelengora various forms of physical, chemical and organic and Lebršnik in B&H, through which it flows for water pollution, which adversely affects the living 203 km, to the last 22 km of flow through Croatia organisms of this ecosystem. Uncontrolled and before reaching the Adriatic Sea (Muhamedagić et unplanned introduction of fish species, poaching al., 2019). and inadequate protection of ichthyofauna only The fauna of the Neretva River is characterized complete the spectrum of various negative by a significant richness and diversity of species, human effects on this precious natural resource among which a special place is occupied by those (Muhamedagić et al., 2019). endemic, narrowly distributed endangered species This paper aims to present the case of a legally (soft-muzzled trout (lat. Salmo obtusirostris) and approved procedure of coastal management of the marble trout (lat. Salmo marmoratus) (Mrakovčić Neretva River, which due to certain irregularities et al., 2006; Škrijelj et al., 2013). The negative (time and intensity of works, abuse of works for human impact on freshwater ecosystems has the purpose of gravel exploitation, etc.) caused become very pronounced in B&H in the last fifty various types of damage in this fishing area. The years. The number of fish populations in the Department of Veterinary State and Forensic Neretva River is significantly affected by constant Medicine of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, negative human actions on the river and its coastal University of Sarajevo received a request for area. One of the most harmful interventions on the damage assessment in the fishing area of rivers, waters in the Neretva basin is the construction of tributaries and lakes of the municipality of Konjic, dams (Muhamedagić et al., 2008). The negative caused by cleaning activities, sediment removal impacts of these facilities are multiple, such as from the riverbed and repair of damage on the changes in environmental conditions, changes in banks of the upper Neretva River sent by a local biodiversity and constant fluctuations in water Association of Sport Fishermen. The damage levels (Riđanović et al., 2014). As a result of the assessment was performed in November 2011. dams built on the Neretva River due to changes ŠATROVIĆ L. AND ŠATROVIĆ E. ASSESSMENT OF ICHTHYOFAUNAL DAMAGE OF THE NERETVA RIVER 99 MATERIAL AND METHODS was moved from the right along the left bank. The workplace was about 600 m long and over 100 File and documentation review m wide. Work from the mouth of the Lađanica The material used in this expertise contained River continues upstream towards a place called inspection service records, statements of fish Glavica-Ravne. guards, original video and photo documentation Damage calculation methodology and other relevant files submitted by the Association of Sport Fishermen. A review of the The calculation of the incurred damages was done same revealed the following: in accordance with the relevant laws and bylaws. In order to be able to assess in the most adequate way - the Agency for the Water Area of the Adriatic and as accurately as possible the caused material Basin Mostar, based on the tender documentation, damage, it is first necessary to give a definition signed a contract for the execution of works with of damage. Damage represents the reduction of the contractor. Upon completion of the tender someone’s property (ordinary damage) and the procedure, in October 2011 the contractor started prevention of its increase (lost benefit), and the performing works on the banks of the upper course infliction of physical or mental pain or fear (non- of the river Neretva, which included cleaning material damage). Guilt exists in the case of activities, removal of sediment from the riverbed intentionally or negligently caused damage (Law and repair of damages; on Obligations („Official Gazette of the Federation - the works were performed by using heavy of B&H”, No. 29/03). In the concept of this construction machines, which led to significant disputed case, when it comes to damages related changes in the riverbed, resulting in a negative to free-water fish, in the total damage calculation impact on the living world of this aquatic methodology it is necessary to take into account ecosystem. The works were carried out to such an direct damages and indirect damages incurred at extent that they directly endangered the survival of the site of the works and downstream. the fish stock in such a way that the great turbidity Direct damage caused by activities on cleaning, caused the death of the fish due to suffocation removal of sediments from the riverbed and repair (impossibility of fish breathing due to mechanical of damage on the banks of the upper course of clogging of the gills with sludge and mud); the Neretva River is a loss due to the death of - the works were performed during the prohibition fish. Damage, in terms of the relevant bylaws of fishing (October and November) in fishing areas governing this aspect, means damage caused to that were stocked in April and May of the same adult and juvenile fish. Adult fish are fish that have year (restocking was performed twice, with a total reached their consumption weight (4 pieces in of 1.000 kilograms (kg) of brown trout (lat. Salmo kg), while the term juvenile fish means younger trutta fario); fish in the breeding or fattening phase (Regulation on determining the amount of compensation for - the works were carried out with considerable damage caused to fish stocks (“Official Gazette intensity so was it noticed in November that the of the Federation of B&H”, No. 63/05). To Neretva riverbed from the mouth of Lađanica to calculate the mentioned harmful consequences, Kovnik-Pločara had been changed, i.e. the riverbed it is necessary to have data on the fish population 100 VETERINARIA VOL. 70 • ISSUE 1 • 2021 and its density, i.e. the qualitative-quantitative structure of ichthyopopulation in this part of the Neretva River which is shown in Table 1. Table 1 Comparative-synthetic presentation of the biopotential of the fish stock of the Neretva River before Konjic (area: 80 ha; amount kg / ha: 8.5) (Sofradžija et al., 2003) Participation in mass indicators of basic fund Fish species (%) Brown trout 82.33 (lat. Salmo trutta fario) Soft-muzzled trout 10.21 (lat. Salmo obtusirostris) European grayling 5.32 (lat. Thymallus thymallus) European chub 2.04 (lat. Squalius cephalus) Eurasian minnow 0.1 (lat. Phoxinus phoxinus) Total 100 Analysis of an ichthyosample in the Neretva River in the mixed fish settlement, the dominant place before Konjic revealed the presence of five fish is occupied by salmonid and thymallid species species belonging to three families. Brown trout (97.86%). Of these species, brown trout participate (lat. Salmo trutta fario) and soft- muzzled trout with 82.33%, soft-muzzled trout with 10.21% and (lat.