41.3.5 Marine Fishing
Romania’s national fishery sector in the Black Sea extends between the city of Sulina
(in the North) and Vama Veche (to the South) at a length of 243 km. The distance
between the sea shore and the continental platform boundary (at depths of 200 m)
varies between 100 and 200 km in the Northern sector to 50 km in the Southern one.
The Delta’s waters bordering the Black Sea to the north, on a fathom line of
20 (twenty) metres, are included in “The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve”, as
these are both traditional areas where trans-border sturgeons are laying their eggs as
well as passage ways for the Danube mackerel. In the long-term, Black Sea catches go
up until 1987 only to be reduced to insignificant levels over the past years.
Over the years for which data on the catches of Black Sea fish exist, the situation
was the following:
2008 443.9 tonnes
2009 331.8 tonnes
2010 230.9 tonnes
2011 537.2 tonnes
2012 690.0 tonnes (estimate)
Source: the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture
According to the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture data, the
predominant species currently harvested are smaller-sized ones, such as: the
European sprat, the European anchovy and the saurel fish.
As such, the Black Sea fishing industry’s mainstay is the European sprat, being
commercialised in the “salty sprat” variety. Other species that are to be found in
these fish catches are the golden grey mullet, the piked dogfish, the turbot flatfish
and the Pinchuk’s goby.
The National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa”,
analyses the Black Sea’s species of fish – in terms of their density, fishing techniques, nutrients and their health state. As such, researchers there are pointing to the
fact that, whereas 50 years ago, the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) was one of the
cheapest available species of marine fish, nowadays this fish is quite a treat for it is
one of the most expensive dishes around. The dwindling turbot stocks are the result
of fishing on an industrial scale. Thus, from harvests in excess of 10.000 tonnes
annually, in the decade 1980–‘89, by the year 2000, this was down to some 2000
tonnes per year and a paltry 258 tonnes in 2010 (Fig. 41.12).
41.3.6 Research in the Field of Aquatic Resources
Out of the many research institutes dedicated to the Romanian fishing industry, we
will mention the existence of three institutes specialised in inland waterways: The
41 Land and Water in Romania’s Food Economy
681
Romania’s national fishery sector in the Black Sea extends between the city of Sulina
(in the North) and Vama Veche (to the South) at a length of 243 km. The distance
between the sea shore and the continental platform boundary (at depths of 200 m)
varies between 100 and 200 km in the Northern sector to 50 km in the Southern one.
The Delta’s waters bordering the Black Sea to the north, on a fathom line of
20 (twenty) metres, are included in “The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve”, as
these are both traditional areas where trans-border sturgeons are laying their eggs as
well as passage ways for the Danube mackerel. In the long-term, Black Sea catches go
up until 1987 only to be reduced to insignificant levels over the past years.
Over the years for which data on the catches of Black Sea fish exist, the situation
was the following:
2008 443.9 tonnes
2009 331.8 tonnes
2010 230.9 tonnes
2011 537.2 tonnes
2012 690.0 tonnes (estimate)
Source: the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture
According to the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture data, the
predominant species currently harvested are smaller-sized ones, such as: the
European sprat, the European anchovy and the saurel fish.
As such, the Black Sea fishing industry’s mainstay is the European sprat, being
commercialised in the “salty sprat” variety. Other species that are to be found in
these fish catches are the golden grey mullet, the piked dogfish, the turbot flatfish
and the Pinchuk’s goby.
The National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa”,
analyses the Black Sea’s species of fish – in terms of their density, fishing techniques, nutrients and their health state. As such, researchers there are pointing to the
fact that, whereas 50 years ago, the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) was one of the
cheapest available species of marine fish, nowadays this fish is quite a treat for it is
one of the most expensive dishes around. The dwindling turbot stocks are the result
of fishing on an industrial scale. Thus, from harvests in excess of 10.000 tonnes
annually, in the decade 1980–‘89, by the year 2000, this was down to some 2000
tonnes per year and a paltry 258 tonnes in 2010 (Fig. 41.12).
41.3.6 Research in the Field of Aquatic Resources
Out of the many research institutes dedicated to the Romanian fishing industry, we
will mention the existence of three institutes specialised in inland waterways: The
41 Land and Water in Romania’s Food Economy
681