Tatjana Boroša Pecigoš, B.Sc. Ministry of Agriculture - Directorate of Fisheries

1. FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE IN CROATIA Management and regulatory frameworkExpert mission on aquaculture, 25-27 September 2013 (AGR IND/EXP 54209) Tatjana Boroša Pecigoš, B.Sc. Ministry of Agriculture - Directorate of Fisheries tatjana.borosa@mps.hr

2. CONTENT • Sector overview • Management framework - institutionsinvolved - licensing procedure

3. SECTOR OVERVIEW • Freshwateraquaculture – rearingof warm-water (cyprinid or carp-like) species cold-water (salmonid, trout-like) species • 49 steakholders – natural and legal persons licensed for freshwater aquaculture • Total area licensed for production- cca 11.550 ha • Production area (2012)- carp ponds 10.650 ha, trout farms 49.897 m2

4. SECTOR OVERVIEW • MA-DoFregister (2012) 28 carpfarms - ponds - continental parts 27 troutfarms - tanks and raceway flow-through systems - mountainous parts

5. SECTOR OVERVIEW Carp production • common carp (Cyprinuscarpio) – dominantspecies • use of mono-culture or poly-culture - predominantly herbivorous cyprinids, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodonidella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthysnobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthysmolitrix) • Other warm-water specieswhich production is under 50 t/year -European (Wels) catfish (Silurusglanis), zender (Stizostedionlucioperca), pike(Esoxlucius) and tench (Tincatinca) • mostly semi-intensiveculture • production cycleof around 3 years

6. SECTOR OVERVIEW Troutproduction • Rainbowtrout (Oncorhynchusmykiss)– dominant species; brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario)<1% • controlled spawning and intensive culture • production cycle of around 2 years

7. SECTOR OVERVIEW Total production of freshwater fish (2012) 4.441 tons carp 2.484 t trout 1.232 t Total value (2012) cca 8 mil EUR Source: CBS&MA-DoF, Since 2010 according to the EU statistical methodology production refers to quantities placed on the market

8. MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK Institutions • Ministry of Agriculture (MA), Directorate of Fisheries - responsible for the overall administration of aquaculture and fisheries, for ensuring the legislative andeconomic framework and for providing related legislative control tasks Freshwater Fisheries Act –provides full standards and measures for freshwater fisheries sector • Ordinance on Aquaculture - aquaculture license issuing procedure; the procedure for passing the specific exam, as qualification for freshwater aquaculture; the obligation of submission the data on annual production through logbook system • Service for aquaculture- all activities related to aquaculture are carried out, such as the license issuing procedure, passing the exam for qualifications for as well as collecting, monitoring and analysis of data related to aquaculture

9. MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK Institutions • Other Directorates within the MA – responsible for the managing of specific issues related to freshwater aquaculture in line with the specific laws • Directorate of Veterinary and food safety – animal health and hygiene and food safety standards • Directorate of Agriculture and food industry – usage of agricultural land • Directorate for Water management – usage of inland waters • Agricultural Land Agency -MA’s implementing body - Conducts procedures of agricultural land and/or inland waters usage approval for freshwater aquaculture purposes • Other administrative bodies involved - Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (EIA, ENIA) - Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning (physical planning documents, location and construction permit)

10. REGULATORY FRAMEWORKPhysical planning and environmental requirements • Freshwater aquaculture activity must be consistant with physical planning documentation, which also incorporates environment and nature protection requirements and measures • EIA and ENIA procedures, as a tool for meeting the environmental and nature protection goals and requirements,are conducted when is required according to the specific regulation, and before a location or other types of permits are issued - EIA – study - required for carp ponds > 100 ha - evaluation of the need for EIA – salmonid farms with yearly production of >=10 t - ENIA – case by case approach for the activities within Ecological network/Natura 2000 area

11. REGULATORY FRAMEWORKUse of agricultural land and inland waters • Recent changes in regulatory framework under the Waters Act and newly adopted Agricultural Land Act • Instead of concession for inland waters usage, 2 different procedures are defined, depending on type of activitiy undertaken 1) Lease of ponds as agricultural land in state property through public tender for the period of 50 years; under the same procedure the approval of inland waters usage is obtained 2) The procedure for gaining the right to use inland waters for rearing of fish and other aquatic organisms; initiated upon the request of natural or legal persons in which ownership is farming facility

12. REGULATORY FRAMEWORKUse of agricultural land and inland waters • Agricultural Land Agency governs both procedures • Local authorities – collection and submission of documentation needed for the procedure of ponds lease • “Hrvatske vode” – involved in the process in terms of defining the conditions and requirements for water usage for both procedures

13. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK – aquaculture license issuing • The freshwater aquaculture license – final document for starting the freshwater aquaculture activity - issued by the Ministry of Agriculture-Directorate of Fisheries upon the application of natural or legal person who is registrated for freshwater aquaculture - after the completion of land/inland waters usage procedures - freshwater aquaculture license includes data on steakholder, total area, species and maximum annual food consumption (in the case of salmonidfarms) • duration of the license is related to the period covered by the concession/contract on agricultural land lease/contract on gaining the rights to use inland waters

14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION HVALA NA PAŽNJI