Title: ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF BELUGA Huso huso STOCK FISHERIES IN SERBIA
1ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF BELUGA Huso huso
STOCK FISHERIES IN SERBIA
- Predrag SIMONOVIC Vera NIKOLIC
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology
2Introduction (1) Life History
- Beluga Huso huso is a sturgeon fish species (f.
Acipenseridae, o. Acipenseriformes, cl.
Osteichthyes). It is the anadromous relict of
paleoniscid fish dating from mid-Mesozoic of
Ponto-Caspian province in Holarctic zoogeographic
region. They are of the biggest fish of the world
that enter into inland waters, since they grow up
to 9 m in length and over 2 tons in weight. Their
fecundity is up to 8 million eggs (Simonovic
2001). - Beluga have two migration waves the autumn one
from the end of September and the spring one from
March. Autumn migrants overwinter in the vicinity
of spawning places.
3Introduction (2) Fisheries Utilization
The sustainability of the fisheries exploitation
of beluga stock is determined by its biological,
primarily reproductive features. Females of Black
Sea stock mature in age of 13 15, whereas males
mature at age 10 13. The contemporary lifespan
recorded in Black Sea beluga is 36 years
historic lifespan was much greater. Minimal time
of doubling the population is over 14 years.
- The mass proportion of ripe roe in the total
weight is about 15 - 20 in beluga of average
catch size in the Danube River basin. - The commercial value of beluga is tremendous.
Fertilized eggs achieve the price up to 150
kg-1, flesh the price about 6 kg-1, whereas the
roe of beluga (purchase price about 150 kg-1),
processed in black caviar, has both great
wholesale (400 500 kg-1) and retail (50 - 150
oz-1, i.e., up to 5291 kg-1) market prices. - The total global number of sturgeon fish
estimated on their annual catch is in prominent
decline, from 30 thousand tons in 1978 to less
than 5 thousand tons in 2003. Whereas, the total
annual production of sturgeon fish in aquaculture
is still less than 5 thousand tons. The Black Sea
region participates in total world trade of
sturgeon caviar and meat with only 6.5 tons and
50 tons, respectively
4Introduction (3) Conservation status
- Lelek (1987) considered beluga vulnerable (VU) to
endangered (EN) in their whole dispersal area. - The status of beluga in the Danube River basin
was estimated as endangered EN A2d (IUCN 2000),
i.e., due to the small number of adult mating
individuals, long generation period, reduction in
overall number, reduced extent of occurrence and
area of occupancy, but mainly due to the actual
level of exploitation, what was inferred from the
decline in catch that occurred due to decrease in
the extent of natural spawning ground areas and
break of migration routes after the construction
of hydro power-plants Ðerdap I and II in
seventies and eighties of XX century (Jankovic
1993), which consequently reduced the natural
production. - Spindler (1995) denoted beluga extinct (EX) in
Germany and Austria, - Guti (1995) considered it endangered (EN) in
Hungary, and - Hensel Holcik (1997) and Bacalbasa-Dobrovici
(1997) denoted the status of beluga extinct (EX)
in upper, critically endangered (CR) in middle
and vulnerable (VU) in lower course of the Danube
River. - International trade with beluga and its products
is limited (CITES, Appendix II), and beluga is
placed in Appendix II (i.e., it is liable to the
control of utilization) of the Bern Convention of
protected species.
5Introduction (4) National administrative
management
- The administrative organ in charge of fisheries
and nature protection, as well as of
implementation of the CITES Convention is
Ministry of Science and Environment Protection
Directorate for Environment Protection, which
succeeded the Ministry for Natural Resources and
Environment Protection.
- The fisheries utilization of beluga in Serbia is
regulated by
Fisheries Act (Anonymous 1994), Order on Closed
Season and Minimal Landing Size for Particular
Fish Species on Fisheries District or its Part
(Anonymous 2003) Decree on Way, Tools and Gears
for Fishing (Anonymous 1995)
Act on Environment Protection (Anonymous
2004) Decree on Natural Rarities Protection
(Anonymous 1993) Decree on Control of Utilization
and Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna (Anonymous
2005).
- Act on Ratifying the CITES Convention (Anonymous
2001)
6Results (A1)
- Although beluga was considered threatened (Vasic
et al. 1990-91) and Simonovic (2001) proposed the
endangered (EN) status for beluga in Serbia, that
was not implemented into the national
legislation, since the Decree on Natural Rarities
Protection (Anonymous 1993) that is still in
force does not protect beluga, i.e., it does not
consider it a natural rarity. - The novelized Order on Closed Season and Minimal
Landing Size for Particular Fish Species on
Fisheries District or its Part (Anonymous 2003)
issued the minimal landing size of 250 cm SL and
closed season for fishing from 1 March to 30
September for beluga for the first time since the
enforcement of the Act on Fisheries in 1994. - Such minimal landing size was set in order to
provide the safe return of young ripe beluga
after the spawning to the Black Sea and their
repeated spawning. - The closed fishing period was set to 1 March 30
September, in order to ensure the undisturbed
spring spawning of beluga, whose roe matures
rapidly immediately before the spawning and
becomes unsuitable for the preparation of the
market-grade high-quality black caviar with the
onset of spring - The intended synergic effect of both measures
was to facilitate the rising of average age of
beluga spawners and consequently, of their
fecundity, as well as to increase the recruitment
of larvae and juveniles.
7Results (A2)
- The intended effect was remarkably reduced by use
of carmacs fishing gear that damaged the caught
fish so much it hardly survived. The ban on this
fishing gear is not issued yet, in spite of its
prohibition by Regional Strategy.
The effect is additionally remarkably reduced by
issuing the Decree on Control of Utilization and
Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna (Anonymous 2005).
8Results (A3)
- In 2004, at the most downstream Serbian section
of the Danube River reportedly eleven beluga
larger than 250 cm SL were landed, nine of which
were females of total weight of 1300 kg and roe
weight of 177.61 kg. Their roe participated
13.95 in total female weight (data are given for
the fish for which relevant data were available). - Until April 2005 when the Decree on Control of
Utilization and Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna was
enforced, only one female beluga gt250 cm SL was
caught. - Since April 2005 to the end of year, more 15
beluga individuals lt 210 cm SL were landed, of
which seven were females and eight were males.
Two females and seven males were smaller than 250
cm SL, that is in total 56.25 of fish landed. - Thus, only seven beluga gt 250 cm SL were landed,
four less than in 2004. The participation of roe
in total landed females weight was 4.33.
9Results (B1)
- Decree on Control of Utilization and Trade of
Wild Flora and Fauna (Anonymous 2005) introduces
in Article 2. the subject protected species
that is not defined either by main Act (at all),
or by its derivatives (properly), which should
consider natural rarity defined in the Decree
of Natural Rarities Protection (Anonymous 1993),
but not protected species as such. - The Decree on Control of Utilization and Trade of
Wild Flora and Fauna defines the protected
species in Article 2. as those which are
sensitive and rare, but not in threat of
extinction, those which are not threatened but
are similar to such ones, as well as those liable
to the protection proscribed by international
contracting act. Each of three determinants of
protected species are far from real meaning of
that concept. - In addition, in the Article 12., Paragraph 1.,
line 4, it is specified that it is forbidden to
collect, use and trade with the beluga male of
size less than 180 cm and beluga female of size
less than 210 cm. Those limiting sizes are
remarkably less than the one that is proscribed
as minimal landing size (i.e., 250 cm SL) for
this threatened fish species by Order on Closed
Season and Minimal Landing Size for Particular
Fish Species on Fisheries District or its Part
(Anonymous 2003).
10Discussion (1)
- Considering that its lowest 800 km are not
seriously deteriorated by dam construction or
other kind of river bed regulation, the Danube
River is the greatest and most significant
remaining natural spawning area of Black Sea
beluga all the way up to the Iron Gate II dam. - Therefore, the shortening of the closed fishing
season and decreasing of the minimal landing size
issued by Decree on Control of Utilization and
Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna are essentially
wrong for the improvement of current status of
beluga stock and in contrast to the measures and
procedures of the Regional Strategy for
Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Sturgeon Populations of the North-East Black Sea
and Lower Danube in Accordance to CITES
Convention.
11Discussion (2)
- CITES Scientific Advisory Authority of Romania
reported in its 2005 report the low recruitment
of larvae and juveniles in 2001, 2002 and 2004,
and the extremely bad recruitment in 2003. In
2002 catches the most frequent were females of
size 220 250 cm and males of size 200 220 cm.
Whereas, in catches 2003 and 2004 the most
abundant females were those of age 19, 20 and 22
and the most abundant males were those of age 17
and 19. It is evident that majority of beluga
females die on their second spawning migration,
which additionally questions the justification of
decrease in minimal landing size issued by Decree
on Control of Utilization and Trade of Wild Flora
and Fauna. - The data from 2004 catch in Serbia support the
conclusion on decline in fecundity of landed
females and those from 2005 catch do that even
stronger.
12Discussion (3)
- Article 27., Paragraph 6. of the Act on
Environment Protection - (1) control of introduction and rearing of
non-indigenous species, - (2 and 3) prohibition on disturbing, mistreating,
injuring and destroying of wild flora and fauna,
as well as destroying of habitats, - (4) possibilities and terms for collection,
- (5 and 6) obligation of paying of fees that is
proscribed by Government of the Republic of
Serbia, and - (7) fees which are incomes of the budget of the
Republic and is to be used specifically for the
protection and improvement of environment. - The trade of threatened and protected species of
flora and fauna, i.e., their export, import and
transit, are determined by Article 28. of the Act
on Environment Protection, which Decree on
Control of Utilization and Trade of Wild Flora
and Fauna does not refer to, at all. - The issuing of Decree on Control of Utilization
and Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna is contrasted
to the Precautionary Principle the Action Plan
for the Protection of Sturgeon Species
accomplished in accordance to the Regional
Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable
Management with Sturgeon Populations in
North-East Black Sea and Lower Danube in
Accordance to CITES was finished and approved in
November 2005, almost half of year after the
issuing of the Decree on Control of Utilization
and Trade of Wild Flora and Fauna.
13Conclusion
- The Decree on Control of Utilization and Trade of
Wild Flora and Fauna fails to provide the
successful administrative management and
sustainable utilization of sturgeon stocks in
Serbia, as declared in Article 3. of that Decree.
- The more restrictive Order on Closed Season and
Minimal Landing Size for Particular Fish Species
on Fisheries District or its Part derived in
accordance to the Act on Fisheries has to be
supplemented with the upgraded Decree on Way,
Tools and Gears for Fishing that would prohibit
the use of carmacs fishing gear and provide that
utilization of the beluga stock in Serbia would
be completely in accordance with the CITES
regulations. - Finally, the Decree on Natural Rarities
Protection should be modernized in concept
according to the contemporary conservational
theory and harmonized with the rest of both
fisheries and nature protection legislation.