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Carp production has been fairly stable in recent years.
Poland is the biggest carp producer in Europe when
disregarding Russian production, in both the European and
the Asian part of the country, of up to 35,000 tonnes of
common carp.
Annual production of 21,000
to 24,000 tonnes of carp gives Poland a 20 per cent share of
European carp production. Production of common carp was at
its highest in 2000, when 22,600 tonnes were harvested.
Production dropped to 21,000 tonnes in 2001. Grass carp
production is stable at 1,500 tonnes annually.
Rainbow trout is increasing
in popularity and is seen as the future of Polish
aquaculture. In 1996 Polish farms produced 5,800 tonnes of
trout, two years later production had increased to 9,000
tonnes and last year it had grown to 11,000 tonnes.
Polish fish farms have also
introduced two new species in recent years, sturgeon - which
produced 150 tonnes in 2001 - and catfish - with of 200
tonnes of African catfish and 70 tonnes of European catfish
produced last year.
The estimated total value of
Polish aquaculture production was EUR 55 million in 2001 and
aquaculture production in Poland represents about 75 per
cent of total inland fisheries production.
Aquaculture in Poland has a
long history - the first ponds were built in the south
during the Middle Ages (12th century) - and carp is
significant as the most important part of the traditional
Christmas Eve supper. |
