Present status, and social and economic significance of inland fisheries in Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany is situated in the central part of Europe a nd covers an area of 358 000 km(2). The climate is maritime in the north an d continental in the south with precipitation varying between 600 and 2000 mm year(-1). Lakes and farm ponds are common in the north-eastern part of t he country and in the alpine and pre-alpine regions to the south. A great n umber of small natural and artificial water bodies exist all over the count ry. There are about 800 000 ha of inland waters. The population of 82 milli on people are concentrated around a number of large conurbations. Over the last 150 years, intense use of the water resources by industry led to pollu tion and a severe decrease in river and lake fisheries. Only 587 inland fis hing enterprises still existed in the early 1990s. Catches from commercial fisheries are decreasing with a total of 3469 t being caught in 1998. The L ake Constance fishery, which landed about 840 t in 1998, is an exception to the general trend. Strong competition for the aquatic resource is affectin g commercial fisheries, whilst recreational fisheries have gained increasin g importance over the last decades. Recent studies provided basic informati on on anglers' habits, social structure and economic significance as well a s their effects on the waters. Aquaculture mainly produces rainbow trout, O ncoryhnchus mykiss (Walbaum) 20 000 t and carps (12 000 t) e.g. Cyprinus ca rpio L. Despite pressures from industry and conservation movements, regiona l support for fisheries and their development has intensified, leading to i mproved water quality. There are even attempts to re-establish abandoned fi sheries. Cooperation with conservationists provides an opportunity for the future survival and development of fisheries. The fisheries and aquaculture sectors changed drastically after the reunification of Germany. The collap se of the infrastructure in the eastern part of Germany led to a decline in production and to a special investigation on recent developments of this s ector.