Introduction
Aquaculture now provides half of the world’s fish supply and is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world. Unfortunately, this growth is often accompanied by a number of negative phenomena, such as the occupation of large areas for aquaculture facilities, increased pollution, and the spread of disease. The integration of aquaculture into a broader system that takes into account the sustainable nature of socio-ecological interconnections is expected to prevent the above negative phenomena. Soto et al. (2008) found that three main principles underlie the development of environmentally and socially sustainable aquaculture: first, aquaculture must take into account the full range of ecosystem functions and services that should be provided to society in a non-threatening and sustainable manner; second, aquaculture should contribute to the well-being and equality of people representing all stakeholders; and third, aquaculture should be developed taking into account other sectors, policies and their objectives. Success in achieving the above goals requires, on the one hand, appropriate management of aquaculture development at the institutional level, and on the other hand, social acceptance of the measures taken. Pond carp farming is a type of aquaculture that is able to meet all of the above criteria.
Pond carp aquaculture in Poland
Poland has the largest area of carp ponds in the European Union, estimated at about 70,000 hectares. It is estimated that an additional 12,000-15,000 hectares is the total size of small rural ponds that are not distinguished in land records. Annual domestic carp production varies between 16,000 and 20,000 tons (Eurostat, 2022). Poland is the main European market for fresh carp, with a stable consumption of more than 21,000 mt. The carp aquaculture preserves its traditional character with low intensification of production (usually 450 – 500 kg/ha/year), and a large share of natural food (growing in the pond) in fish diet. Rearing common carp usually employs mixed species stock (polycultures). The share of other fish species, mainly grass carp, silver carp, crucian carp, tench, pikeperch, sturgeon, pike and trout, is around 13%. Low-intensive production, large areas of ponds and their open nature mean that the ponds, over decades and hundreds of years of use, have become an integral part of the local environment. They resemble vast, shallow lakes, providing a range of ecosystem services. The non-productive qualities of the ponds have helped expand the traditional carp economy to include tourism, recreation, catering, hospitality and other services (Békefi & Váradi, 2007). Pond farms that use traditional methods of fish production that are compatible with the needs of the environment and its protection can expect to be compensated for the additional costs incurred or income lost as a result. A multifunctional farm model that draws on tradition and culture has been identified as one of the primary strategic objectives for the development of domestic aquaculture (Figure 1).
Ecosystem services of carp ponds
The non-productive values of carp fish ponds have long been recognized by ecologists (Dobrowolski et al., 1994), fishing industry experts (Leopold, 1983) and fishermen (Turkowski, 2021). Studies conducted in France (Mathé & Rey-Valette, 2015) and Poland (Turkowski & Dubrowski, 2022) have shown that people not professionally involved in fishing are also fully aware of the importance of the environmental and social functions of carp ponds. This is the premise of public acceptance of the European fisheries policy, which aims to develop aquaculture without environmental deterioration, creating a balanced relationship between producers and the broader consumers of productive and non-productive aquaculture products.
References
Békefi, E., Váradi, L., 2007. Multifunctional pond fish farms in Hungary. Aquacult. Int.: 15, 227–233. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10499-007-9090-5.
Dobrowolski, K.A., 1995. Environmental-Economic Evaluation of Fish Ponds in Poland. The World Conservation Union (Fundacja IUCN Poland), Warsaw.
Eurostat. 2022. Production from aquaculture excluding hatcheries and nurseries. https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do, June 4.
Leopold, M., 1983. Poland. In E.E. Brown (Ed.), World Fish Farming: Cultivation and Economics, 2nd ed. (pp. 231-256). Avi Publishing Company, Inc.: Westport, CT, USA.
Mathé, S., Rey-Valette, H., 2015. Local knowledge of pond fish-farming ecosystem services: Management implications of Stakeholders’ perceptions in three different contexts (Brazil, France and Indonesia). Sustainability: 7, 7644–7666. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/6/7644.
Soto, D., Aguilar-Manjarrez, J., Hishamunda, N., 2008. Building an ecosystem approach to aquaculture. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Proceedings. No. 14. Rome, FAO.
Turkowski, K., 2021. Fish Farmers’ Perception of Ecosystem Services and Diversification of Carp Pond Aquaculture: A Case Study from Warmia and Mazury, Poland. Sustainability: 13, 2797. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052797.
Turkowski, K., Dubrowski, M., 2022. Perception of ecosystem services provided by carp ponds in Pasłęk, Poland. Ekonomia i Środowisko (in preparation for publication).