Introduction
Hungary is rich in natural habitats, more than fifth of its area is protected either by the European Union or national regulations. Most of these areas, around 2 million ha, belong to the Natura 2000 network which covers more than 70% of the total water area of the country. As a result of interventions of the past period aimed at conserving biodiversity, conditions improved on more than 50% of the habitats, but the proportion of sites in poor or bad condition is still exceeding 80%. Farming on protected areas, the protection of species and habitats of Community interest, the maintenance of the still little understood ecosystem services, require particular practice which needs special knowledge, efficient monitoring system and production processes adapted to regional characteristics. In the 2014-2020 period, it is a priority objective to improve areas in Natura 2000 sites and ensure appropriate conservation management, and its implementation is supported by national and EU strategies and development funds as well. In order to identify problematic issues in protected area management, a representative survey was conducted in 2015 covering fish farms operating on Natura 2000 sites.
Materials and methods
To identify the problems related to fish farming in Natura 2000 areas a standardized questionnaire survey was conducted using structured face-to-face interviews between April and July 2015. Relevant fish farms were selected from the official Fisheries Statistics Database of the Agricultural Research Institute (AKI) which is based on mandatory data supply required yearly from every fish farm in the country. In 2014, from the 454 recorded farms in the database 117 were operating on Natura 2000 sites covering a total of 11 558ha. Based on pond area and geographic location, a representative sample of 27 fish farms was selected, approx. one fifth of the total number of farms within Natura 2000 areas, covering more than 9 000ha of which 80.9% (7483.5ha) was designated Natura 2000 sites. Data were analyzed by SPSS using mainly descriptive statistics due to low element numbers.
Results and discussion
Regarding the total area more than tenth (14.8%) of the studied fish farms operated on ponds less than 50ha, nearly a quarter (22.2%) on 50-100ha, a narrow two-fifths (37%) on 100-300ha and a quarter on larger areas. A third of the producers indicated that they encountered difficulties in the past funding period in relation to prohibitions and permits. Most of the technical problems associated with improvements (construction, technological) resolved in the previous period, however, the fish farmers complained of excessive bureaucracy. Producers were asked to assess (on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the most typical) the extent of the limitations the existing Natura 2000 regulations impose on them. Higher post-harvest losses due to the restriction of bird deterring/culling received the highest value (4.38) and regular inspections by conservation agencies/organizations got the second highest value (3.56). Conservation regulations and compliance is strongly needed was third (3.31) in row, limited advice on good management practices was forth (3.16), compliance of regulations means extra costs was fifth (3.0), administration costs higher due to Natura 2000 was sixth (2.77), significant income loss seventh (2.44), significant yield loss eight (2.24) and difficult and slow communication with authorities was last (2.07) on the list.
Regarding good practices, only 44.4% of fish producers considered themselves well informed about the proper management of Natura 2000 sites and more than half of the respondents (51.9%) judged their knowledge partial. Segmentation according to lake area size and income supports that typically the larger - over 50ha and with revenues of more than €25 800 - farms considered their awareness level as adequate.
In three quarters of the farms, estimated yield loss due to fish consumption by birds (particularly by cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo) was more than 10% in fattening ponds, 19% in production ponds and 26% in rearing ponds. The highest ratio of average yield loss was observed in fish farms between 50-100ha of area. Only two respondents did not take any measures against predators, while 84% of the remaining producers used gas cannon or shotgun bird scaring, and 50% has done cormorant culling (in 2014). The main problem of fish farming on Natura 2000 areas, according to almost 70% of the sampled producers, is the low amount of compensation. To their experience, the damage caused by fish eating animals is extensive and substantial, the regulations are strict, the income loss and the extra expenditure due to compliance are considerable, and losses and expenses are not covered by the given compensation. Fish farmers affected by the predation of protected otters (Lutra lutra) and bird species expressed similar opinions and concerns about regulations, compensation schemes and bureaucratic procedures in the Czech Republic (Václavíková et al., 2011) and also in Poland (Kloskowski, 2011).
Conclusions
Fish farming on Natura 2000 sites needs special ecological, legal and management knowledge, but only half of the fish farmers considered themselves appropriately informed. The companies surveyed believe that fish ponds provide important ecological services to the society, thus the recognition of their role and raising awareness are priority tasks. Fish farmers operating in protected areas contribute to maintain the habitats of protected and endangered organisms and support their living conditions by complying with nature conservation requirements and obligations, thus they are financing conservation activities which are expected but not paid by society.
Based on the responses to the questionnaire, the existing support system compensating for lost income and additional expenses should be reviewed. Providing easier access to relevant information on conservation requirements and obligations to a wider circle of farmers would be essential, as well as improving the system of consultancy and technical assistance. Therefore, to ameliorate the dissemination and transfer of information, and counselling, and to shape public attitudes towards nature conservation, strengthening the role of professional bodies concerned with farming practices on Natura 2000 sites (national parks, agricultural and development agencies, advocacy organizations, etc.) is necessary. Furthermore, the reduction of administrative burdens related to the conservation regulations and obligations, and the simplification and acceleration of regulatory approval processes would substantially facilitate producers.
References
Václavíková, M., T. Václavík and V. Kostkan, 2010. Otters vs. fishermen: Stakeholders' perceptions of otter predation and damage compensation in the Czech Republic. Journal for Nature Conservation, 19: 95-102.
Kloskowski, J., 2011. Human-wildlife conflicts at pond fisheries in eastern Poland: perceptions and management of wildlife damage. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 57:295-304.