Cormorant-fisheries conflicts in Carp pond areas Cormorant-fisheries conflictsinCarppond in Europe andIsrael in Europe an INTERCAFEoverview Main Photo — Shutterstock Photographs — INTERCAFE Cormorant-fisheries conflicts in Carp pond areas in Europe and Israel an INTERCAFE overview INTERCAFE — Photographs Kareen Seiche, Daniel Gerdeaux, Robert Gwiazda, Ferenc Lévai, Petr Musil, Oleg Nemenonoks, Tamir Strod and David Carss CORMORANT-FISHERIES CONFLICTS IN CARP POND AREAS IN EUROPE AND ISRAEL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This publication has been produced Gwiazda, Daniel Gerdeaux and images in the Appendix One were by INTERCAFE’s Carp Pond Dave Carss. Helpful information, taken from Google Inc.’s Google Sub-Group (part of Work Group comments and corrections on EarthTM. Two, the ‘Conflict Resolution various drafts were provided by: and Management’ group) which Wolfgang Stiehler (GER), Gerd Throughout the series of comprised seven Carp pond Füllner (GER), Damian Wiehle INTERCAFE meetings, numerous specialists each from an important (Ornithological Association in participants from the Action’s Carp-producing country in Europe Malopolska), Beata Orlowska other two Work Groups made or beyond: the Czech Republic, (Ornithological Station in Ruda contributions to the discussions France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Milicka, Wroclaw University) on Carp ponds and these were Latvia, and Poland (for details of and Simona Polakova (Daphne, also informed on occasions by these authors, please see Appendix Institute of Applied Ecology, Czech discussions with invited experts Two). Republic) helped with the RDA and local stakeholders. Wherever analysis. A number of people also appropriate, information from these This publication was written kindly provided photographs for sources has also been incorporated and edited by Kareen Seiche, inclusion and individual sources are into INTERCAFE’s overview Petr Musil, Tamir Strod, Oleg acknowledged under each picture of this highly important sector of Nemenonoks, Ferenc Lévai, Robert wherever possible. The 9 satellite European freshwater fisheries. [2] CORMORANT-FISHERIES CONFLICTS IN CARP POND AREAS IN EUROPE AND ISRAEL CONTENTS 1 PREFACE 5 6.4 Effect of environmental factors on the seasonal patterns of Cormorant numbers in 2 INTRODUCTION 8 Case Study areas 37 6.5 Conclusions from the redundancy 3 THE IMPORTANCE OF CARP POND analysis 39 AREAS 10 3.1 Carp production 10 7 ASSESSING CORMORANT DAMAGE TO 3.2 Market conditions 11 POND FARM FISH STOCKS 41 3.3 The structure of Carp producers on a European level 14 8 CORMORANT MANAGEMENT IN CARP 3.4 Pond fisheries — encouraging a profession POND AREAS 48 for young people 15 8.1 Cormorant management techniques 48 3.5 The importance of Carp ponds for nature 8.1.1 Active management techniques in protection 15 pond areas 49 8.1.2 Passive management techniques 4 CASE STUDY AREAS: AN INTRODUCTION 20 in pond areas 53 4.1 History and character of Carp pond areas 8.2 New methods of fish pond management to in Europe and Israel 21 minimise Cormorant damage in ponds 54 4.2 The use of ponds 23 8.2.1 Warm-water fish breeding system 54 8.2.2 Pond-in-pond system 55 5 CORMORANT DATA FOR CASE STUDY 8.3 Financial assistance 57 AREAS 25 8.3.1 Compensation for damage caused by 5.1 The seasonal abundance of Cormorants 25 Cormorants 57 5.2 Spring migration period 26 8.3.2 Financial advancement to maintain 5.3 Autumm migration period 26 ponds 60 5.4 Roosting and non-breeding cormorants 27 8.3.3 European Fishery Fund (EFF) 60 5.5 Winter period 29 8.4 Technology transfer: possible or not? 62 5.6 Trends in Cormorant numbers, 2004–2007 30 8.4.1 Co-ordinated Cormorant management 5.7 Origin of Cormorants 31 at pond fish farms in the Hula Valley, Israel 63 6 EFFECTS OF HABITAT VARIABLES ON 8.4.2 Barriers and opportunities for CORMORANTS: A MULTIFACTORIAL transferring Hula Valley experiences 65 ANALYSIS 32 8.4.3 Implications for other Carp pond 6.1 Datasets and analyses 32 farming areas 68 6.2 Geographical variation in the origin of Cormorants recorded in Carp pond Case 9 GENERAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING Study areas 34 REMARKS 70 6.3 Effect of environmental factors on Cormorant 9.1 Carp ponds — unique water/landscapes numbers in Case Study areas 36 and attractive habitats 70 www.intercafeproject.net [3] CORMORANT-FISHERIES CONFLICTS IN CARP POND AREAS IN EUROPE AND ISRAEL 9.2 Cormorants — presence, predation and management 73 9.3 A highly-valued ‘ecosystem’ under threat 75 9.4 Towards large-scale collaborative and adaptive management 78 10 REFERENCES 81 11 APPENDIX ONE: FULL DETAILS OF INTERCAFE’S CARP POND FARM CASE STUDY AREAS 82 12 APPENDIX TWO: INTERCAFE CARP POND SUB-GROUP MEMBERSHIP 110 [4] CORMORANT-FISHERIES CONFLICTS IN CARP POND AREAS IN EUROPE AND ISRAEL 1 PREFACE D N Carss, M Marzano This publication is supported by European scientific knowledge of researchers from all 27 EU Member COST. It is one of the outputs of the cormorant-fisheries interactions in States (except Luxemburg, Malta INTERCAFE COST Action (635). the context of the interdisciplinary and Spain) and other countries COST (European Cooperation in management of human-wildlife in continental Europe (Georgia, Science and Technology) is the conflicts at local to international Norway, Serbia) and the Middle longest-running intergovernmental levels across Europe. It also East (Israel). In addition to these network for cooperation in research aimed at delivering a coordinated 28 countries, Ukraine and Croatia across Europe. information exchange system were also associated with the and improved communication Action. INTERCAFE held a series INTERCAFE — ‘Conserving between stakeholders. To this of eight meetings, each themed biodiversity: interdisciplinary end, INTERCAFE attempted to around a topic particularly relevant initiative to reduce pan-European address: to the host country: cormorant-fishery conflicts’ — was awarded funding for four years i. the fundamental distrust 1. Gdansk, Poland, April (2004–2008). COST Actions are between the main stakeholder 2005 — ‘Cormorant ecology, charged with directing European groups which was compounded commercial fishing and science and do not pay for by the disparate and stakeholder interaction’ researchers’ time. Instead, funding uncoordinated nature of 2. Saxony, Germany, September was available for INTERCAFE available sources of information, 2005 — ‘Commercial Carp to organise and run a series of ii. the necessity of applying an aquaculture’ international meetings, drawing integrated interdisciplinary 3. Hula Valley, Israel, January together researchers from a research approach (biological, 2006 — ‘Cormorant-fishery number of disciplines (bird- social, legal) to cormorant- conflict management in the Hula related and broader ecology, fishery conflicts (as these are Valley, Israel’ fisheries science and management, as much a matter of human 4. Bohinj, Slovenia, October sociology, social anthropology interests as they are of biology 2006 — ‘Angling and EU and international law) and other or ecology), thus recognising the legislation’ experts (very often connected need for different perspectives in 5. Hanko, Finland, April with fisheries production, harvest the development of collaborative 2007 — ‘What to do when the and management, or to regional/ strategies, and cormorant comes’ national policy and decision- iii. the lack of an integrated 6. Po Delta, Italy, September making). Under INTERCAFE’s understanding of the 2007 — ‘Extensive aquaculture coordination, interested parties, interdisciplinary factors at the systems and relationships from local stakeholders to heart of cormorant-fisheries between stakeholder international policy-makers, were conflicts that precludes the perspectives and different thus offered a unique opportunity provision of useful and practical spatial and institutional levels’ to address European cormorant- information and advice to all 7. South Bohemia, Czech Republic, fisheries issues. interested/affected parties. April 2008 — ‘Management practices in a complex habitat The main objective of The INTERCAFE network mosaic and at local, regional INTERCAFE was to improve comprised almost seventy and national levels’ www.intercafeproject.net [5] CORMORANT-FISHERIES CONFLICTS IN CARP POND AREAS IN EUROPE AND ISRAEL 8. Paris, France, September 2008 fishery conflicts in Europe and • Cormorant-fisheries conflicts — ‘The management of beyond. in Carp ponds areas in Europe cormorant-fisheries conflicts in and Israel — an INTERCAFE France and the wider European This publication is one of a series overview. (ISBN 978-1-906698- context’ of INTERCAFE outputs aimed 10-2) at providing readers with an • Essential social, cultural and At each meeting, INTERCAFE overview of European cormorant- legal perspectives on cormorant- participants worked in one of three fishery conflicts and associated fisheries conflicts. (ISBN 978-1- Work Groups, covering the broad issues, which is as comprehensive 906698-11-9) aims of the Action:- as possible given the budgetary and time constraints on all of Highlights from these publications • Work Group One — Ecological INTERCAFE’s participants. are available in INTERCAFE: an Databases and Analyses integrated synthesis (ISBN 978-1- • Work Group Two — Conflict The INTERCAFE publications 906698-06-5) and are available at Resolution and Management are:- http://www.intercafeproject.net • Work Group Three — Linking Science with Policy and Best • Cormorants and the European Within the framework of Practice Environment; exploring INTERCAFE three working cormorant status