Sustainable management of leisure and professional fisheries at the ...

1. LAKE CONSTANCE (D-A-CH):
Co-ordination of fisheries activities at the level of
a major international lake
LAKE CONSTANCE (D-A-CH)
Context
Tools
implemented
SILMAS
contact
• An international lake bordered by three States
• It experienced a period of eutrophication, and then a recent return to oligotrophic
status
• A high level of exploitation by professional and leisure fishermen
• Formalised international co-ordination since 1893
• Management based on good knowledge of the stocks and exploitation
LUBW - Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg
poststelle@lubw.bwl.de
A. PRESENTATION OF THE LAKE
Lake Constance is a peri-alpine lake of glacial
origin, consisting of 2 distinct basins (a lower
lake and an upper lake). It has a surface area of
535 km², and is shared by Austria, Germany and
Switzerland. Most of the water inputs are from the
alpine zone, which causes a high level in summer
as the result of melted snow, and a low level in
winter. The lake is used as a source of drinking
water for over 4 million inhabitants, and constitutes
a major attraction for tourist activities.
B. FISH POPULATION (ECKMANN & RÖSCH, 1998)
In total, 31 species populate Lake Constance,
which constitutes fairly much the same level of
diversity as at the start of the 20th century, although
major changes have occurred since then.
SPECIES BEFORE 1900 PRESENT DAY
Eel Anguilla anguilla X X
Lake trout Salmo trutta X X
Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss X
Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus X X