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

scientists and administrative bodies that are
responsible for advising the commission. The
council of experts also meets at least once a year for
exchanges both concerning fishing management
issues and scientific issues, in order to prepare its
report and submit its proposals to the commission.
Specific working groups can also be established
in order to deal with specific points (for example,
migrating fish).
The international commission’s meetings
are relatively formal, and only government
representatives can take part in them, along with
a few guest experts, and the representatives
of amateur and professional fishermen (the
International Association of Fishing on Lake
Constance). The commission is however preceded
by preparatory meetings that bring together a
wider range of users.
E. SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USED
(ZINTZ ET AL., 2009)
Various techniques have been put into practice
at Lake Constance and this is still the case today.
The whitefish population is supported by the
large-scale fish farming: numerous hatcheries are
located on the lakeside, where eggs are artificially
fertilised. To do this, the spawners are caught
from the lake in early December. The hatching of
the eggs and the growth of the larvae occur in an
artificial environment, with this providing higher
success rates than the bottom of the lake.
Fish restocking programmes have also been drawn
up for lake trout, at the same time as improving
migration conditions on influents so that spawning
grounds can be reached (the construction of
fish-passes).
Moreover, there is a very old tradition at Lake
Constance which dates back to the 17th century,
which involves submerging piles of branches and
brushwood that are used for spawning grounds
and nurseries for numerous species. Over the
last few decades, these practices have gradually
fallen into disuse. However, experiments are
being conducted involving new solutions that are
more sustainable over time, particularly with the
help of metal structures filled with branches and
brushwood. The initial results seem very positive.
F. SUMMARY WRITTEN BASED ON THE FOLLOWING REFERENCES
ECKMANN R., RÖSCH R., 1998. Lake Constance
fisheries and fish ecology. Arch. Hydrobiol. Adv.
Limnol. 53, 285-301.
LÖFFLER H., 1990. Fisheries management of
Lake Constance: an example of international cooperation.
In: W.L.T. van Densen, B. Steinmetz &
R.H. Hughes (Eds.). Management of freshwater
fisheries. Proceedings of a symposium organized
by the European Inland Fisheries Advisory
Commission, Göteborg, Sweden, 31 May-3 June
1988. Pudoc Wageningen: 38-52.
ZINTZ K., LÖFFLER H., SCHRÖDER H.G., 2009.
Lake Constance - A natural environment in change.
Web site: www.ibkf.org