The co-existence of recreational and artisanal fisheries in the central parts of the Danube and Sava rivers

Abstract

Abstract The official data on recreational and artisanal fisheries in Croatia and Hungary were analysed. The data from Croatia relates to the entire Croatian section of the Danube River and to the section of the Sava River along the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The data from Hungary covers 60 km of the Danube River north of the Croatian border. Absolute catches in kilograms, as well as CPUE (kg per fisherman per year) by both groups in all three river sections varied from year to year without dramatic changes. Fishing with nets, artisanal fishermen differ from the anglers in two major ways: they are less selective and they catch bigger specimens. According to the official data, the existing ratio between recreational and artisanal fishermen in these three river sections does not negatively affect each other’s or overall fishing. Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that medium-intensive artisanal fisheries qualify to co-exist with recreational fisheries.