Congress reports
MARICULTURE ON CROATIAN ISLANDS
2000, 58 (3) p. 111-118
Abstract
The first attempts of intensive mariculture in Croatia commenced at the very beginning of 1980’s. The mid-eighties brought an expansion of mariculture production, which has been continuously increasing. A few different marine organisms are intensively cultured - both fish and shellfish. Among them commercially most important and highly valued species are sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax and sea bream Sparus aurata. Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and oyster Ostrea edulis are the most important shellfish. Fish species such as dentex Dentex dentex, red sea bream Pagrus major and sheepshead bream Puntazzo puntazzo are reared too, but in a rather small quantities. Only recently the rearing, on-growing- of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus started in Croatia. The juveniles (70%) are reared in a Croatian hatcheries, and 30% has to be imported mainly from Italy and France, due to a higher demand for this kind of culture among the small growers. Croatian part of Adriatic sea possesses a number of geomorfologicaly suitable sites and meteorological conditions which determined the choice - type - of intensive culture. All fish species are reared in a floating cages. The choice of cages i. e. semi off-shore or floating frames, size, rearing volume and design depend on the investors personal preference. The annual turnouf of a market size bass was about 600t and 300t bream in 1996., by 10 island farms which is 70% of total production in Croatia. Including other cultured fish species last year production was up to 1000t, and it™s being estimated to be about 1300t in the following year. The shellfish production on the islands is usually individual attempt of farmers, producing minor quantities mostly in polyculture. This production has bigger potential but it’s limited owing to the EU quality control regulations which do not allow the export, and by domestic market which has drastically decreased due to the collapse of tourism during the recent war. Almost 80% of consumption fish is exported to Italy and bluefin tuna to Japan exclusively. It’s expected that demand for mariculture products, fish and shellfish, will increase on domestic market. These expectations are based on a possibility of new local investments and a market perspectives on account of tourism revival which seems to be the most important for the small island producers. The reasons for having implemented farms on islands are unexploited good environmental conditions, less risk from the coastal and industrial pollution, less users conflicts and less comptetition for locations and concessions. Island mariculture is a part of political or socio-demografic orientation of the government, but regarding producers this option is voluntary.
Keywords
mariculture, croatian islands, fish and shellfish production, hatchery, cage fis