engleski

State and Management of Near-Shore Biological Resources in the Eastern Adriatic (Croatian Coast).

Traditionally, biological resources in the sea have been distingusihed a spelagic, demersal (trawling) and near-shore even though there is no clear distinction between them in nature. Near-shore biological resources are exploited by small-scale or coastal fishing which makes use of all 55 kinds of fishing gear known along the eastern Adriatic, apart from tuna seine, bottom trawl and pelagic trawl. The near-shore belt along the eastern Adriatic coast and around the islands extends on the average 300 m offshore (50-2000 m) with a maximum depth of 80 m. This area constitutes up to 6% of the Croatian Adriatic total fishing grounds or up to 14% of the inner Croatian fishing grounds. This is an area of highest organic matter production. As to the catches realized all along the eastern Adriatic coast the near-shore fishing has recently been yielding more than pelagic and trawl fishing. According to an arbitrary estimate, in 1994 pelagic fishing yielded 9.4 thousand tons, trawl fishing 9-11 thousand tons and near-shore fishing about 30 thousand tons. In 2003 pelagic fishing yielded 19.6 thousand tons, trawl fishing about 8 thousand tons and near-shore fishing only about 7 thousand tons. The coastal catch was of higher quality. Analyses of catches of trammel sets "test gear" used for monitoring of the state and changes in coastal populations of commercially important organisms of the eastern Adriatic-have shown that these resources have been seriously overexploited by intensive fishing. Decrease of quantity and quality of trammel net catches have been observed along the eastern Adriatic coast for 35 years. In addition, some changes in the number and quantity of some fishes, cephalopoda and crustaceans in the catches have also been recorded, a s well as the reduction in the size and weight of some species. These changes have been recorded in all of the eastern Adriatic near-shore area, particularly those locations closer to the coast in contrast to some of the offshore islands (Palagruža, Sveti Andrija, Brusnik, Lastovo). Future near-shore fishing should be based on an appropriate national strategy of development of Croatian fisheries and related activities, in compilance with the Law on Marine Fisheries of the Republic of Croatia. As to the near-shore fisherey, priority should be given to the renewal of exhausted resources. Only then rational exploitation can restart. Rational management requires knowledge of teh qualitative and quantitative catch structures, the areas fished and fishing activity. However, such data are not yet available for the eastern Adriatic.

marine resources; status; trend; Croatia

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