As a physical geography unit, the Danube Delta is the catchment area of the
three arms through which the river flows into the Black Sea: Chilia, Sulina and
St. George (Sf. Gheorghe). This area of over 430.000 ha makes it one of the largest
deltas in the world – more precisely, the world’s 22nd and Europe’s second largest.
Considering the adjacent lagoon complex, “Razim–Sinoe”, it is also one of the
largest wetlands.
As an ecological resource, the Danube Delta is important both in terms of its
length and breadth – stretching for more than half of the Tulcea County (51%) and
almost a third of the entire Dobrogea region (27.9%) – as well as in terms of the
richness and the sheer variety and specificity of its resources. The Danube Delta
Reed Monograph details the manner in which the Delta’s wetlands had been used in
the 60s: pisciculture (fish farming) – 323.100 ha, reed crops and pisciculture –
213.900 ha, agriculture – 62.300 ha, forestry – 18.800 ha, land within built-up areas,
dam-banks and coastal belt (Staraș and Na ˘vodaru 1995).
Due to the richness and the biodiversity of its specific flora and fauna, forming
the best preserved European Deltas, in 1990 the Danube Delta was been acknowledged globally, and listed as “The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation”. Over
5000 ha of forests have thus been declared “world heritage sites”.
The Danube Delta’s fauna comprises of seventy-five species of fish (including
sturgeon), 280 species of birds – some of which were also listed as World Heritage
sites – mammals – from wild boars to ermines and reptiles.
41.3.4.2 The Commercial Production of Fish in the Danube Delta
Following a period of growth, the commercial production of fish has started
decreasing again. From a yield of around 8000 tonnes in 1973, to a mere 1300
tonnes in 1993 (Fig. 41.10).
The graph above shows the downward spiral in the main species’ structure. The
largest share here is made up of less valuable species, such as the crucian carp –
whose overall share appears to undergo an upward trend – while other species of
fish, such as the bream or the roach are shrinking. Meanwhile, more valuable
species, such as the pike, the perch or the tench have disappeared almost entirely.
As far as the sturgeon is concerned, this species is no longer listed. An assessment
of the sturgeon catch in the Romanian Danube Delta and river, made by researchers
from the Delta Research Institute, show a steady decrease from approximately 250 t
per year, during 1951–1955, to around 50 t, during 1981–1985, to only 20 t per year
after 1990 (Lup et al. 2016) (Fig. 41.11).
The dramatic reduction in the sturgeon catch owes greatly to the embankment
works on the Danube river, and the draining of some 418.000 ha of wetlands, where
the sturgeon had been depositing its eggs (H^ ancu et al. 2009).
41 Land and Water in Romania’s Food Economy
679
three arms through which the river flows into the Black Sea: Chilia, Sulina and
St. George (Sf. Gheorghe). This area of over 430.000 ha makes it one of the largest
deltas in the world – more precisely, the world’s 22nd and Europe’s second largest.
Considering the adjacent lagoon complex, “Razim–Sinoe”, it is also one of the
largest wetlands.
As an ecological resource, the Danube Delta is important both in terms of its
length and breadth – stretching for more than half of the Tulcea County (51%) and
almost a third of the entire Dobrogea region (27.9%) – as well as in terms of the
richness and the sheer variety and specificity of its resources. The Danube Delta
Reed Monograph details the manner in which the Delta’s wetlands had been used in
the 60s: pisciculture (fish farming) – 323.100 ha, reed crops and pisciculture –
213.900 ha, agriculture – 62.300 ha, forestry – 18.800 ha, land within built-up areas,
dam-banks and coastal belt (Staraș and Na ˘vodaru 1995).
Due to the richness and the biodiversity of its specific flora and fauna, forming
the best preserved European Deltas, in 1990 the Danube Delta was been acknowledged globally, and listed as “The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation”. Over
5000 ha of forests have thus been declared “world heritage sites”.
The Danube Delta’s fauna comprises of seventy-five species of fish (including
sturgeon), 280 species of birds – some of which were also listed as World Heritage
sites – mammals – from wild boars to ermines and reptiles.
41.3.4.2 The Commercial Production of Fish in the Danube Delta
Following a period of growth, the commercial production of fish has started
decreasing again. From a yield of around 8000 tonnes in 1973, to a mere 1300
tonnes in 1993 (Fig. 41.10).
The graph above shows the downward spiral in the main species’ structure. The
largest share here is made up of less valuable species, such as the crucian carp –
whose overall share appears to undergo an upward trend – while other species of
fish, such as the bream or the roach are shrinking. Meanwhile, more valuable
species, such as the pike, the perch or the tench have disappeared almost entirely.
As far as the sturgeon is concerned, this species is no longer listed. An assessment
of the sturgeon catch in the Romanian Danube Delta and river, made by researchers
from the Delta Research Institute, show a steady decrease from approximately 250 t
per year, during 1951–1955, to around 50 t, during 1981–1985, to only 20 t per year
after 1990 (Lup et al. 2016) (Fig. 41.11).
The dramatic reduction in the sturgeon catch owes greatly to the embankment
works on the Danube river, and the draining of some 418.000 ha of wetlands, where
the sturgeon had been depositing its eggs (H^ ancu et al. 2009).
41 Land and Water in Romania’s Food Economy
679