Croatian Journal of Fisheries (Apr 2010)
FISH HATCHERY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BOSANSKA KRUPA IN NORTHWESTERN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROJECT
Abstract
The Norwegian Government financed the project GCP/BIH/003/NOR “Support to Income Generation through establishment of a Fish Hatchery in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, worth one million US dollars, that includes the construction of a fish hatchery on the banks of the River Krusnica in order to create jobs and incomes for people living with disability in Bosanska Krupa. The hatchery is dedicated to producing local strains of brown trout (Salmo trutta m. fario), grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and Danube salmon (Hucho hucho) for re–stocking the natural waters of the Krusnica/Una River catchments (and larger Bosnia and Herzegovina and Danube basin), support the rehabilitation of fish populations and to help revitalize local tourism. The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), based in Budapest, Hungary implements the project in close collaboration with the Sport Fishermen’s Association of Krusnica, which currently has 351 members. A fish hatchery, a pilot Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) in the valley of the River Krusnica, is the first of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is suitable for production of 250,000 to 450,000 fingerlings annually. Five war invalids are employed at the hatchery continuously since fish production began in November of 2008. The production technology learned by the staff abroad was adapted to the local conditions. The hatchery is expected to be self–sustainable in its operation from sale of fingerlings. Since the hatchery activity has received wider publicity, anglers’ interest in the River Krusnica and River Una has increased. Further increase in the number of visitors is expected after restocking the fish into the river, since the bigger fish populations will attract more and more anglers.
