Total production from inland waters in Eastern Europe had declined following the economic realignments from 1988 onwards. Recent trends confirm this trend with a total production of 135,000 t in 1996.

Production of freshwater fish has changed considerably according to country in the decade. Production by the former leader, Romania, has declined mainly due to the changing situation of the Danube Delta, whereas production in Poland has increased. Some countries have fragmented in recent years and the reporting of their statistics is now by their component states. Thus the total production of the former Czechoslovakia has been maintained at its former levels whereas that of the former Yugoslavia has declined drastically because of civil disturbances.

Capture fisheries production showed some signs of recovery in Eastern Europe from 1991 to 1993, but the most recent statistics indicate that this has slowed or halted, and in 1996 production declined to 58,000 t.

Much of the decline in the capture fisheries sector in Eastern Europe can seemingly be traced to the disappearance of more than half of the production from the Danube Delta in Romania and to the fisheries of the main stem of the Danube in Hungary. There is no doubt that these figures are under-represented as the catch by anglers is often unreported. Much of this catch is eaten and the recreational fishery contributes an estimated 52,000 t to domestic diets.

The overall trend in aquaculture production is similar to that of inland capture fisheries. Output from aquaculture steadily declined since 1989 and in 1996 77,000 t were reported.

Comparison between this sheet and the preceding ones indicates that the decline in total production from Eastern Europe attributable to aquaculture, as well as capture fisheries, with the exception of Poland who reported an increase, production from all other countries declined.

A detailed breakdown by country of total, capture and culture fisheries for the period is set out on the following sheet.

Aquaculture in Eastern Europe is heavily dependent on cyprinids, principally Cyprinus carpio

Much of the culture in Eastern Europe produces cyprinids and salmonids for stocking in support of capture and recreational fisheries in natural and artificial waters.

Capture fisheries in Eastern Europe are heavily dependent on cyprinids possibly due to the more homogenous aquatic environments which are mainly eutrophic lowland lakes and potamonic, high order plains rivers. A large percentage of the fish captured are not described to species.

It can be assumed that many of the unclassified fishes are cyprinids although a wide range of other species are captured.

Contribution of introduced fishes to European production 

Introduced species contribute a high proportion of the fish caught within the European region. The introduced Onchorynchus mykiss accounts for the major part of cultured fish in Western Europe and of the cultured salmonids in Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe remains heavily dependent on Cyprinus carpio for both capture and culture. This species is introduced over much of its present European distribution although the introductions are sufficiently ancient for the species to be considered part of the native fauna. Eastern Europe has had a long standing tendency to use Asiatic carps for culture and some of these have become established or are stocked into natural waters in support of the capture fishery.