FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE IN CROATIA
Management and regulatory framework
Expert mission on aquaculture, 25-27 September 2013 (AGR IND/EXP 54209)
Tatjana Boroša Pecigoš, B.Sc.
Ministry of Agriculture - Directorate of Fisheries
tatjana.borosa@mps.hr
CONTENT

Sector overview

Management framework
- institutions involved
- licensing procedure
SECTOR OVERVIEW
 Freshwater aquaculture – rearing of
warm-water (cyprinid or carp-like) species
cold-water (salmonid, trout-like) species
 49 steakholders – natural and legal
persons licensed for freshwater
aquaculture
 Total area licensed for production- cca
11.550 ha
 Production area (2012)- carp ponds 10.650
ha, trout farms 49.897 m2
SECTOR OVERVIEW
MA-DoF
register (2012)
28 carp farms
- ponds
- continental parts
27 trout farms
- tanks and raceway
flow-through systems
- mountainous parts
SECTOR OVERVIEW
Carp production





common carp (Cyprinus carpio) – dominant species
use of mono-culture or poly-culture - predominantly herbivorous
cyprinids, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp
(Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Other warm-water species which production is under 50 t/year European (Wels) catfish (Silurus glanis), zender (Stizostedion lucioperca),
pike (Esox lucius) and tench (Tinca tinca)
mostly semi-intensive culture
production cycle of
around 3 years
SECTOR OVERVIEW
Trout production
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) – dominant
species; brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario)<1%
 controlled spawning and intensive culture
 production cycle of around 2 years

SECTOR OVERVIEW
Total production of freshwater fish (2012)
carp
2.484 t
trout
1.232 t
Total value (2012) cca 8 mil EUR
Species
Common carp
Grass carp
4.441 tons
2000
3.952
333
2001
3.705
304
2002
2.872
334
2003
2.617
442
2004
3.298
413
2005
3.716
492
2006
3.481
371
2007
2.868
377
2008
3.201
206
2009
4.088
307
2010
1.816
231
2011
2.891
158
292
82
103
18
10
64
110
207
149
157
73
95
Bighead carp
Tench
European catfish
Zander
Pike
Trout
Other
109
8
58
9
21
1.162
85
253
4
38
8
12
1.080
63
358
9
58
10
13
1.666
77
433
12
72
7
2
1.400
73
379
9
71
8
10
1.359
61
325
29
40
10
5
1.423
95
480
30
29
18
5
1.729
75
455
14
38
17
8
1.646
165
547
8
52
10
11
2.752
191
599
4
67
7
14
2.071
174
309
1
29
7
8
2.492
82
522
1
24
8
11
2.489
84
TOTAL
6.029
Silver carp
5.549
5.500
5.076
5.618
6.199
6.328
5.795
7.127
7.488
5.048
Source: CBS&MA-DoF, Since 2010 according to the EU statistical methodology production refers to quantities placed on the market
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
6.283
MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Institutions

Ministry of Agriculture (MA), Directorate of Fisheries
- responsible for the overall administration of aquaculture and fisheries, for
ensuring the legislative and economic framework and for providing related
legislative control tasks
Freshwater Fisheries Act –provides full standards and measures for freshwater
fisheries sector

Ordinance on Aquaculture
- aquaculture license issuing procedure; the procedure for passing the
specific exam, as qualification for freshwater aquaculture; the
obligation of submission the data on annual production through
logbook system

Service for aquaculture - all activities related to aquaculture are carried out, such
as the license issuing procedure, passing the exam for qualifications for as well
as collecting, monitoring and analysis of data related to aquaculture
MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Institutions

Other Directorates within the MA – responsible for the managing of
specific issues related to freshwater aquaculture in line with the specific
laws
◦ Directorate of Veterinary and food safety – animal health and hygiene and food
safety standards
◦ Directorate of Agriculture and food industry – usage of agricultural land
◦ Directorate for Water management – usage of inland waters


Agricultural Land Agency
- MA’s implementing body
- Conducts procedures of agricultural land and/or inland waters usage
approval for freshwater aquaculture purposes
Other administrative bodies involved
- Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (EIA, ENIA)
- Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning (physical planning
documents, location and construction permit)
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Physical planning and environmental requirements


Freshwater aquaculture activity must be consistant with
physical planning documentation, which also incorporates
environment and nature protection requirements and
measures
EIA and ENIA procedures, as a tool for meeting the
environmental and nature protection goals and
requirements, are conducted when is required according to
the specific regulation, and before a location or other
types of permits are issued
- EIA – study - required for carp ponds > 100 ha
- evaluation of the need for EIA – salmonid farms with yearly
production of >=10 t
- ENIA – case by case approach for the activities within Ecological
network/Natura 2000 area
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Use of agricultural land and inland waters


Recent changes in regulatory framework under the Waters
Act and newly adopted Agricultural Land Act
Instead of concession for inland waters usage, 2 different
procedures are defined, depending on type of activitiy
undertaken
1) Lease of ponds as agricultural land in state property
through public tender for the period of 50 years; under
the same procedure the approval of inland waters usage is
obtained
2) The procedure for gaining the right to use inland
waters for rearing of fish and other aquatic organisms;
initiated upon the request of natural or legal persons in
which ownership is farming facility
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Use of agricultural land and inland waters

Agricultural Land Agency governs both
procedures

Local authorities – collection and submission of
documentation needed for the procedure of
ponds lease

“Hrvatske vode” – involved in the process in
terms of defining the conditions and
requirements for water usage for both procedures
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK –
aquaculture license issuing
The freshwater aquaculture license – final document
for starting the freshwater aquaculture activity
- issued by the Ministry of Agriculture-Directorate of
Fisheries upon the application of natural or legal person
who is registrated for freshwater aquaculture
- after the completion of land/inland waters usage
procedures
- freshwater aquaculture license includes data on
steakholder, total area, species and maximum annual
food consumption (in the case of salmonid farms)
 duration of the license is related to the period covered
by the concession/contract on agricultural land
lease/contract on gaining the rights to use inland waters

THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
HVALA NA PAŽNJI