The Yugoslav fishery production of the Adriatic

Abstract

       The natural conditions, i. e. specific hydrographic, geomorphologic and biogeographic, reigning on the Adriatic, especially on its eastern part, have made our  fishery production acquire the features according to which the pelagic fish prevail in it. Regarding the size of the realized catches the post war trends have show that, on the whole, the Yugoslav fishery production is characterized by stagnating tendencies stressed by oscillations and fluctuations.

        The fishery production (catches) of the pelagic fish consist almost only of the sardine, anchovy, pilchard and some other small pelagic fish. The participation of tonnidae and other large pelagic fish is only about 1%. Still, the sardine catches predominate in this fishery. This fish is of prime economic importance in our sea fishery. The economic importance of the plichard and anchovy has increased greatly the last few years. Judging from their settlements and the biological conditions in general it is posible to expect their catches to increase considerably.

        The fishery production of the bottom species of fish, cephalopoda and mollusks, is also stangating. As to trawling the last years have shown that the production is decreasing and that without a qualitatively different economic policy of our society touching this kind of fishery it is improbable that this method of fischery production on the Adriatic could develope at a greater pace.

       With regard to the favourable natural conditions which, from the biological point of view, dominite on many localities along our coast (coves and bays) there is a great possibility of increasing the fishery production of some coastal species of good quality fish. This regards mollusks in particular. Therefore we should also develope the system of aquiculture, i. e. fish-farming.