According to the latest figures available (1964), the total annual commercial production (catch) of fish in Yugoslavia was 38,545 metric tons. Of this total, about two-thirds, or 25,332 tons, was of marine origin and about one-third, or 13,213 tons, was from inland waters. The inland catch as compared with the marine catch is - for a country with as extensive a coastline (2,096 km) as Yugoslavia - comparatively large.
Furthermore, in terms of value the inland fisheries production is more important than the marine catch. For example, in 1961 the value of the inland fish catch was 1,031.5 million dinars, or about 12 per cent greater than the value of the marine catch, 921.2 million dinars (Pažur, 1966).
Of the inland catch, about 43 per cent, or 5,697 tons, was from “open waters”, i.e., from wild stocks of lakes, streams and overflow areas. These stocks are composed of both salmonoid fishes (such as the famous trout of Lake Ohrid) and of “warm-water” fish such as catfish, pike, pike-perch and cyprinids (carps). The greater part of the inland harvest in 1964 was derived from fish culture; it totalled 7,516 tons or 57 per cent of the total. Warm-water fish, about 85 per cent carp, composed 7,360 tons of this total; salmonoid fishes (principally rainbow trout) provided 156 tons. 1
It is obvious that the inland fisheries are already of considerable importance to the economy of the country, and Yugoslavia's wealth of inland waters makes them capable of increase in production. Meschkat (1956) states that Yugoslav authorities estimate that the total surface of the inland waters exploited for economic fishing covers 250,000 hectares, or 2,500 square kilometers, of which the streams of the Danube system provide 130,000 ha and lakes about 110,000 ha. (Carp ponds, brooks, etc., contribute the remainder.) There are said to be about 1,900 streams over 10 km long, totalling over 115,000 kilometers in length, and about 220 lakes, eleven of which are over 10 sq km in area.
These open waters are certainly capable of further development, although - as will be seen in section 4 - their commercial catch now appears to be static, and river basin development and industrialization are altering their character. There is some opinion that the greatest possibilities for development in these waters may lie in the sport fishery.
At present, carp ponds total about 8,860 ha and about 25 ha are devoted to trout farms. These - particularly the carp farms - are capable of a great expansion.
The fisheries of new reservoirs also offer opportunity for increased production.
Plans for the development of both open and closed (ponds) waters will be discussed in the next section (4).
