To round up the first part of this article, we can conclude that during the communist
dictatorship, Romania’s land and freshwater reources had been poorly used and did
not play their part in raising the population’s welfare and living standards.
At present, it is thought that in the medium-term, i.e. over the next 5–6 years,
between 1 and 1.5 million ha of land will be reclaimed for irrigation purposes with
the help of EU loans and the new landowners’ direct contributions – people for
whom agriculture represents a most profitable venture.
41.3 Freshwater Resources and the Black Sea in Romania’s
Food Economy
41.3.1 A Bit of a History Lesson
Fishing and agriculture have always had long-standing traditions in Romania – a
country whose population is steeped in orthodox religious customs that see Christmas
and Easter fasting being observed rather rigorously. Elderly women in rural areas –
which still account to almost half the country’s population – go even further than that
by fasting every Tuesday and Friday of every week. Medieval chronicles attest the
existence of thousands of ponds and stew ponds around the meandering inner rivers
that led to the flooding of plains and were systematically broken up for this reason
(Lup 2006).
At present, Romania’s hydrographical network is 844 thousands ha wide, which
is 3.5% of the country’s overall surface. Fishing, aquaculture and the
commercialisation of fishery products occurs nation-wide though it would be true
to say that such activities occur on an unjustifiably small scale, even in typical
areas, such as the Danube meadows and Delta, or the Black Sea’s Exclusive
Economic Zone. A recent study of Romania’s National Agency of Fisheries and
Aquaculture catalogues something of a national fishing patrimony viewed from an
anglers’ perspective (Rudescu et al. 1965).
1075 km surfaces permanently or temporarily covered by water, 500 thousand ha,
...] running water, 300 thousand ha natural lakes and marshes, 98 thousand ha barrier
lakes and polders, 940 aquaculture farms with a capacity of 9200 (plan), 160 salmon
farms with an overall surface of 83 ha. the structuring on family species freshwater
(carp) of indigenous and Asian origin 85% with the rest of 15% being Wels catfish,
freshwater sturgeon (National Agency for Fishery and Aquaculture 2016).
41.3.2 Romania’s Fish Stocks’ Long-Term Evolution
Despite this wealth – both quantitative as well as in terms of the variety of species,
that help diversify one’s dietary needs, create environment values, generate and
676
A. Lup et al.
dictatorship, Romania’s land and freshwater reources had been poorly used and did
not play their part in raising the population’s welfare and living standards.
At present, it is thought that in the medium-term, i.e. over the next 5–6 years,
between 1 and 1.5 million ha of land will be reclaimed for irrigation purposes with
the help of EU loans and the new landowners’ direct contributions – people for
whom agriculture represents a most profitable venture.
41.3 Freshwater Resources and the Black Sea in Romania’s
Food Economy
41.3.1 A Bit of a History Lesson
Fishing and agriculture have always had long-standing traditions in Romania – a
country whose population is steeped in orthodox religious customs that see Christmas
and Easter fasting being observed rather rigorously. Elderly women in rural areas –
which still account to almost half the country’s population – go even further than that
by fasting every Tuesday and Friday of every week. Medieval chronicles attest the
existence of thousands of ponds and stew ponds around the meandering inner rivers
that led to the flooding of plains and were systematically broken up for this reason
(Lup 2006).
At present, Romania’s hydrographical network is 844 thousands ha wide, which
is 3.5% of the country’s overall surface. Fishing, aquaculture and the
commercialisation of fishery products occurs nation-wide though it would be true
to say that such activities occur on an unjustifiably small scale, even in typical
areas, such as the Danube meadows and Delta, or the Black Sea’s Exclusive
Economic Zone. A recent study of Romania’s National Agency of Fisheries and
Aquaculture catalogues something of a national fishing patrimony viewed from an
anglers’ perspective (Rudescu et al. 1965).
1075 km surfaces permanently or temporarily covered by water, 500 thousand ha,
...] running water, 300 thousand ha natural lakes and marshes, 98 thousand ha barrier
lakes and polders, 940 aquaculture farms with a capacity of 9200 (plan), 160 salmon
farms with an overall surface of 83 ha. the structuring on family species freshwater
(carp) of indigenous and Asian origin 85% with the rest of 15% being Wels catfish,
freshwater sturgeon (National Agency for Fishery and Aquaculture 2016).
41.3.2 Romania’s Fish Stocks’ Long-Term Evolution
Despite this wealth – both quantitative as well as in terms of the variety of species,
that help diversify one’s dietary needs, create environment values, generate and
676
A. Lup et al.