POLAND
The aquaculture sector in Poland
Ambitious strategy to increase production and sales The Polish aquaculture sector is overwhelmingly dominated by the production of common carp and trout. InsigniďŹ cant volumes of other carps, sturgeons, and predatory species, such as catďŹ shes, and pike, are also farmed.
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olish aquaculture can be broadly categorised into traditional extensive, that is, earthen ponds for the production of carp often in polyculture with other species; traditional intensive, which refers to the culture in raceways, typically of trout; and finally modern intensive. The latter implies the use of recirculation aquaculture systems used mainly for trout and stocking material in which the water is reused after being sent through a series of filters.
Carp ponds are beneficial for the environment There are about 65,000 ha of carp ponds in Poland with a production of some 19,500 t of cyprinids (2014) of which 18,400 tonnes, or 94, is common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Eurostat figures show that common carp production has remained stable since 2010 when it was 18,133 t. Fish ponds are usually built on agricultural land that is unsuitable for crop production. They may also contribute to the better management of water resources serving to accumulate water which can then be used in dry periods, and to regulate and mitigate the effects of flooding. Studies have also shown that fish ponds play a role in reducing the nutrient load of water from agricultural runoff and municipal centres. There are www.eurofishmagazine.com
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thus several benefits associated with pond farming. In addition, the presence of fish in the ponds, the rural surroundings, and the abundant water and vegetation in pond areas combine to act as a magnet for wildlife including birds and animals that prey on fish. While this wild fauna is generally regarded as beneficial for the environment, it can have a severe negative impact on fish production. Cormorants in particular pose a problem to fish farmers, one made worse by their status as a protected species, which means that farmers may generally only use nonlethal methods to prevent them preying on the fish. Shooting cormorants on ponds requires a special permit from the Regional Directorate of Environment Protection. Carp ponds are characteristic of the central and southern parts of Poland where temperatures are milder and the water warmer. Productivity of the ponds is increased with the addition of other cyprinids (silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp, goldfish, and tench) as well as catfish and pike to make better use of the naturally occurring flora and fauna in the pond. The predatory species apart from being valuable in themselves also hold down the numbers of trash fish (species of no commercial value) in the ponds. Some farmers also supply
additional feed in the form of cereals to increase yields (traditional semi-intensive). Feeding with cereals is expensive and as carp prices have stayed more or less the same, it is not low cost effective. The productivity of carp ponds varies widely. The average for Poland as a whole is about 370 kg, says Prof. Arkadiusz Wolos, head of the Department of Fishery Bioeconomics at the Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute, but this includes ponds which are used for the production of stocking material or fry, where yield per ha is much lower. Some farms can achieve much higher yields with the use of supplementary feeds, good management practices, and thanks to favourable
environmental conditions. Farms with fully integrated operation include smaller hatchery ponds for the production of larvae, as well as on-growing, and overwintering ponds. When the fish are one-season old they may either be sold to other farmers to stock their ponds or are grown further for the market.
Value-added carp products are slowly taking off Carps typically have a two or three-year cycle to reach a market-sized fish depending on the climatic conditions. The colder the climate the longer the fish takes to grow to market size of 1.5 to 2.5 kg. Carps are traditionally
Prof. Arkadiusz Wolos, head of the Department of Fishery Bioeconomics, Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute. Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2016
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