9. STATE OF THE FISHERY
If one accepts all the catch statistics shown in Table 6 at face value, then the inland fishery “catch” in Greece seems to have descended from 12 000 t in 1966 to a low of 6 000 t in 1971, with a resurgence to about 10 000 t in later years. The reasons for such fluctuation, especially since the figures include production from fish culture, are unknown.
With respect to yield per unit area, a number of figures can be derived which have a wide range of values depending upon the data selected as the basis for calculation. Examples follow.
9.1 Yield
Lakes. If we were to use the estimates by Ananiadis (1972a) of a total “productive” lake area of 40 000 ha with an annual harvest of 5 000 t, then the annual yield from Greek lakes would be 125 kg/ha. On the other hand, if we use the more recent figures furnished by Greece/EIFAC (1979) of a total lake area of 85 000 ha and an annual yield of 2 500 t we obtain a yield of only 30 kg/ha/year. (See also the last paragraph of this sub-section.)
Only a few statistics on yield from individual Greek lakes are available to the author. Apostolski (1972) states that the yield from the former Yugoslavian portions of two lakes shared with Greece has been as follows for the last 20 years: 5–7 kg/ha/year from Lake Megali Prespa and 170–290 kg/ha/year from Lake Doiranis (see section on Yugoslavia). Van Noort (1975), obviously using figures based on Riedel (1975), says with respect to Greek lakes that: “No data are available on present catches or yields, except for Lake loannina…” He also states that the annual yield from lonannina is almost 140 kg/ha, and using this as a basis of conjecture estimates the total annual production average yield for Greek lakes (in his report having a total area of 655 km2) to be 80 kg/ha, thus leading to a total catch potential of 5 240 t1.
The best recent statistics on Greek lake yield by commercial fishermen that I know of are those of Crivelli (1990) in Table 9. He further says that while the yield from Greek lakes fluctuates, the trend is mostly downward. Quoting some old figures, he states that the total commercial catches from 1928 to 1935 in Greek freshwater lakes provided a mean total yield of 3 698 t annually, but that the “…mean total yield of the last ten years of 17 Greek freshwater lakes (= c. 95% of all Greek lakes with a commercial fishery) is 1 790 tonnes/yr.”
Crivelli (1990) also states that: “The annual yield of Greek lakes has in the past been remarkably high for European freshwater lakes”. Nevertheless, in view of the discrepancies in statistics for both catch and area, it is impossible to give really definite figures for lake yield in Greece.
Table 9
Total yield and carp yield (kg/ha/year) of lakes of northern Greece, by commercial fishermen
| Lake | Period | All species | Carp | ||||
| Average yield in last 10 years | Minimum yield | Maximum yield | Average yield in last 10 years | Minimum yield | Maximum yield | ||
| Megali Prespa | 1973–87 | 35.6 | 3.3 (1986) | 73.5 (1977) | 0.1 | 0.01 (1977) | 1.4 (1973) |
| Mikri Prespa | 1964–87 | 13.8 | 8.4 (1979) | 100.9 (1964) | 0.8 | 0.3 (1986) | 5.7 (1973) |
| Veggoritis | 1964–87 | 6.5 | 3.2 (1983) | 13.0 (1974) | 1.4 | 0.4 (1986) | 3.8 (1974) |
| Petron | 1972–87 | 14.2 | 6.6 (1984) | 20.1 (1972) | 1.0 | 0.06 (1985) | 7.9 (1973) |
| Zazari | 1973–87 | 24.0 | 5.7 (1985) | 150.4 (1977) | 15.3 | 0.3 (1986) | 116.4 (1976) |
| Chimaditis | 1973–87 | 14.5 | 1.4 (1978) | 54.2 (1975) | 5.2 | 0.1 (1981) | 53.8 (1975) |
| Kastoria | 1960–87 | 68.0 | 12.5 (1985) | 148.3 (1964) | 8.1 | 0.9 (1973) | 26.4 (1963) |
| Koronia | 1918–83 | 43.3 | 28.9 (1979) | 339.0 (1960) | 4.3 | 0.7 (1983) | 203.6 (1955) |
| Volvi | 1964–82 | 48.5 | 26.4 (1982) | 91.4 (1971) | 1.2 | 0.4 (1975) | 2.3 (1968) |
| Kerkini | 1967–87 | 79.6 | 12.6 (1978) | 174.7 (1984) | no data | no data | no data |
| Vistonis | 1961–87 | 44.1 | 18.4 (1983) | 111.3 (1970) | 13.5 | 1.4 (1975) | 83.8 (1970) |
Source: Crivelli (1990)
Lagoons. Estimates of yield in the brackishwater lagoons also differ widely. Belloc's old survey (1948) reports annual yields from the lagoons that he considered to be the most important in Greece as follows: Messolongion, 15 kg/ha; Porto Lago, 50–80 kg/ha; Agoulinitisa, 444–666 kg/ha. Later statistics (see Table 4) agree closely with those for Porto Lago (50 and 80 kg/ha), but are quite different for Messolongion (51–71 and 56 kg/ha) and Agoulinitisa (110 kg/ha).
Using only the figures from 1960 through 1963/64 for the 11 lagoons listed in Table 4 for which both area and total annual harvest are available (range in yield 20–200 kg/ha/year), one derives a combined average yield of either 50 or 78 kg/ha/year depending upon whether one uses minimum or maximum areas and/or annual productions for the calculations. The yield calculated from more recent data for the 11 lagoons listed in Table 7 (range, 1.27 to 184 kg/ha/year), averages 54.6 kg/ha/year.
Shifting to other recent figures with respect to yields from combined lagoon fishing areas, we obtain additional figures. Amanieu and Laserre (1981) report the following annual yields, from a total Greek lagoon area of 27 590 ha, in terms of kilograms per hectare: 72 in Macedonia (year not given), 67 in Epirus (1971), and 94 in the Peloponnesus (1978). Mistakidis (1982) cites an estimated yield of 61.7 kg/ha/year from the total area of Greek lagoons, said to be 34 000 ha. Finally, in a survey by Ananiadis (1984) of 61 Greek lagoons of brackish fishing areas totalling 43 448 ha the range in yield of individual lagoons varied from 5 to 461 kg/ha/year, and their overall average yield was 47.2 kg/ha/year.
The variations cited above with respect to the annual yield of Greek lagoons, either individual or total, may be attributable to several factors:
Levi and Troadec (1974) state that well-managed Greek lagoons produce about 200 kg/ha/year. This may well be true, but such an estimate is far above the average, judging from the above figures. Of the 61 lagoon areas listed by Ananiadis (1984) only 15 yielded over 100 kg/ha/year, and only 4 yielded 200 kg/ha/year or better2.
I conclude with a final estimate based upon information from Greece/EIFAC (1979). From the data they provide, the total harvest in 1978 from Greek inland waters not including aquaculture was about 6 500 t. Subtracting the harvest from Greek lakes, which they estimate at about 2 500 t, one is left with a harvest of 4 000 t which one must assume stems mainly from lagoons. If this is true, and the total lagoon area of 40 000 ha (also provided by the same source) is correct, then the annual yield per unit area from Greek lagoons in 1978 was 100 kg/ha3.
9.2 Factors Affecting the Fishery
Among the factors conducive to good yield from the inland fisheries of Greece are: the climate which promotes a long growing season, limestone terrain, and comparative lack of widespread industrialization and water pollution. There are a fair number of large lakes, an extensive lagoon area offers scope for a considerable brackishwater fishery, there are protected deep-water bays suitable for pen or cage culture, and water supplies for trout culture are good in some northern areas.
On the other hand, stream fisheries are quite limited. The dissection of the country by its greatly indented and convoluted coastline, as well as the division of a considerable part into many small islands, means that its rivers must be short, cannot attain great volume, and hence can provide only small fisheries. Except in the north, they have a torrential regime, are silt-laden in spate and almost dry during the hot Mediterranean summers. Unfavourable distribution of precipitation, mountainous relief and its geological consistency, and denudation of vegetation contribute to this process. Moreover, the needs of irrigation and its expansion create demands which further diminish fluvial fisheries, and even further demands are placed on streams by increases in their use for hydroelectric power. (At one time, most of the Greek powerhouses were fueled by lignite, but as these resources have decreased, both oil and hydro-resources have been substituted). It is possible, of course, that the construction of more reservoirs for both irrigation and power will increase the space available for inland fisheries, but it is doubtful if the latter will be major considerations here. This is especially true with irrigation impoundments which fluctuate considerably.
It is true that Greek rivers are still comparatively unpolluted. Lack of rural sewage, moderate use of fertilizers, and concentration of industry at a few points near the sea contribute to this situation. Nevertheless, over one-half of the total average annual runoff of 4 264 m3 per caput is contributed by a few rivers that enter the country and have only limited drainages within Greece before discharging to the sea. The amount of runoff originating solely within Greece, only 1 983 m per caput provides a better indication of the inland waters vulnerability to pollution.
The situation with respect to lakes is much better for fish production, but even here over a period of years, land reclamation, including drainage and irrigation, has reduced their overall areas, as well as their spawning and nursery grounds. Furthermore, there is little or no limit on fishing effort, other regulations are often not enforced, and poaching is frequent.
The great variance reported in yields from lagoons is due to a variety of factors, some of which are difficult to control. They include “natural” causes such as the time of opening of channels to the sea, and fluctuations in volume, area, winter and summer temperatures, and salinity. They include diminution in lagoon area through reclamation. They also include social factors concerned with rental of the fishing rights, conflicts between different classes of fishermen, reporting of the catch and taxation. (Some of these factors also apply to lakes.)
Finally, the sea orientation of the people and lack of traditional aquaculture, especially for freshwater species, may have been general deterrents to inland fishery development initially. Nevertheless, Greece's local maritime resources are poor, the country does have a tradition of lagoon culture, and the Government is generally receptive to aquacultural development.
9.3 Prospect
Limited by small fishery resources in rivers, and with ever-increasing demands for irrigation and hydropower water, the future of inland fisheries in Greece is bound to its natural lakes, reservoirs and lagoons.
It is probable that management of natural lakes could be improved by regulation of their mixed fish populations, more emphasis on environmental stability, and some judicious stocking. See, especially, Crivelli (1990) for some specific suggestions. In the case of Greece's international lakes, this may require cooperation with the users from other nations.
Reservoir capacity will be increased as fossil fuel sources decrease, but both seepage and rapid runoff makes water storage difficult.
The harvests from lagoons could certainly be improved. Measures, incorporating adoption of the Italian system of valliculture, that would increase their yields include: better regulation of both influent and effluent water; control of silting, clearing, and deepening to permit over-wintering; division into more manageable units; use of a double-trapping system to separate large and small fish and returning undersized fish to the lagoon; allowing an additional summer's growth to produce larger fish; greater use of selective stocking; and cage culture. Improved social and economic management of these fisheries would also aid them.
Unfortunately, with respect to all fisheries there will be an extension of industrial and urban pollution under a Greek policy to extend industrialization away from its present concentrated areas.
Trout culture has received considerable attention in Greece, and it has been visualized that over 5 000 t can be produced annually. Better artificial feeds and broodstock and an increase in fingerling production are needed. Most trout cultivation has been limited to the Epirus and Edessa areas, and shortage of good sites may be a handicap.
Both FAO (1973) and Greece/EIFAC (1979) have suggested that more emphasis be placed on raising carp or other fish that do not require high protein food, and increased eel culture should also be important. Ananiadis (1977) suggested that over 9 000 ha of saline or alkaline uncultivated soil should be suitable for cypriniculture, and also suggested that an annual yield of 3 000 kg/ha could be obtained with fertilization and feeding. Undoubtedly, freshwater aquaculture of several other species could be developed and some steps have been taken in this direction (see section 7.2).
Although sport fishing is not as important in Greece as in many European countries, it should increase in time, but primarily as recreation for residents rather than for tourists.
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