PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF THE AQUACU LTURE OF CATFISHES (SILUROIDEI) IN EUROPE

In Europe the aquaculture of Siluroidei concern;the native species Sil urus glanis and some others recently introduced: Clarias gariepinus fr om Africa, Ictalurus punctatus, I. nebulosus and I. melas from North A merica. Production trials with the African species Heterobranchus long ifilis and H. bidorsalis are mentioned. These Siluroidei are reared in various production systems: monoculture in (closed) thermoregulated s ystems, cages or ponds, or in pond polyculture. Clariids are most ofte n grown out into recirculated-thermoregulated systems, but sometimes i n outdoor ponds during summer. Ictalurids are reared intensively or se mi-intensively in ponds. The European catfish, Silurus glanis is produ ced either in pond polyculture as predator fish, or in open systems wi th warm water (power plant effluent geothermal water), less often in c losed thermoregulated systems. In Europe, aquaculture of Siluroidei is not widespread and only a few countries practise it: Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. However, the production seems to be increasing: in France, for example, intens ive production in ponds with still water or with water reused after ef fluent lagooning is beginning to develop. The impact on the environmen t is low, as are the production costs. From the data, the evolution of Siluroidei production depend on the country and species (evaluation o f the total amount produced in 1993: about 4195 metric tons, including 2080 tons for I. melas, 1210 tons for C. gariepinus, 602 tons for S. glanis, 302 tons for I. punctatus). In Hungary, Czech Republic and par t of Germany, the national consumption is regressing because of higher production costs, lower standard of living, and difficulties of expor tation to other countries. In the European Union fish processing by fi lleting (90% in the case of Clarias gariepinus production) gives an ad ded value to the fish, and facilitates marketing, but the global poten tial market for these fishes is not well known. The quality of the fle sh (white colour, no bones, high yield processing, good flavour and te xture) are positive criteria for the future of the European production of Siluroidei.