Arkadiusz Wołos, Maciej Mickiewicz, Tomasz Czerwiński
ABSTRACT. The eel is an extraordinarily important species both ecologically and economically as it determines the profitability of fisheries enterprises. The Polish eel population has declined significantly in the last decade, and this has had a negative impact on the financial condition of many fisheries enterprises. Evidenced of this is provided by the analysis of catches and restocking data from lake logs in the 1973-2004 period and recreational catch data from angling surveys. In total, 76 lakes from the Pregola River basin (combined surface area 25570 ha) and five coastal lakes (combined surface area 14633 ha) are analyzed. Mean annual decreases in eel catches in the Pregola River basin in the 1973-2004 period were 5.21%, while restocking decreased in the same period by 9.64%. The mean annual decrease of eel catches in coastal lakes in the 1973-2004 period was 4.15%, while that of restocking int he same period was 8.54%. This might be evidence of the significant impact that natural recruitment has on catches of eel that enter these lakes from the Baltic Sea. Recreational catches in the Pregola River basin are estimated to be 14.2 tons, while in coastal lakes they are estimated at 8.2 tons.
Keywords: European eel, Pregola River basin, coastal lakes, commercial and recreational catches, restocking
Przyjęto po recenzji 07.06.2009 r.