Promoting Payments for Ecosystem Services and related sustainable financing schemes in the Danube Basin 2 April, 2012

National Fisheries schemes Yuliya Grigorova

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery sector in Bulgaria Fishery sector has a specific role, as in the agriculture of the Republic of Bulgaria, so as in the national economy, including also fish processing. The total income from fishery activities is about €14.3 million. It has relatively small share at national level – 0.38 % of employment in the country. It provides high employment at regional level, especially in the seaside regions, where has significant share in local economies. The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery sector in Bulgaria The total area in Bulgaria, covered by water basins is ha, including natural lakes, aqua-cultural farms, fluent waters and The Danube River. The total length of rivers for fishing in inner water basins is km, with total water surface of ha. There are around 80 fish species, inhabiting dam lakes, natural lakes and artificial ponds and other rivers. The length of the Danube River in it’s Bulgarian part is km. The Danube River is known as the river with the richest ichthyo- fauna in Europe. There are 58 fish species, inhabiting the Danube River. The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery sector in Bulgaria Aqua-culture is bred on about ha water area. The total water area, used for fish-breeding in the moment is only ha. The size of fish-farms in Bulgaria is usually small: More than 29% of farms realize their activities on area for aqua-culture production smaller than 1 ha; Middle-size farms, having water area between 1 and 10 ha are 42% of the total aqua-cultural farms number in the country; About 34 aqua-cultural farms are situated on water areas of more than 20 ha. The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2011 Fishery sector in Bulgaria – problems and solutions Problems: High contamination of waters in the fishery-farms because of: 1.The use of agricultural fodder and organic left-overs of plant and animal origin; 2.Use of manure of animal and non-animal origin; 3.Contamination with nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites, hydrogen sulphide and methane; Solutions: 1.Use of fodder with high environmental indexes – granulated and extruded; 2.Decrease with 50% of water contamination, including by nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites; 3.Decrease with 30% of water contamination with hydrogen sulphide and methane; The Danube PES Project

2 April 2012 The scheme Operational framework The Danube PES project PES meeting Society Fishpond manager Public payment Public good – water quality

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery PES schemes – main goals Decrease of footprint in fishery and aquaculture sector Decrease of water consumption and contamination Support sustainable development in Fishery sector The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Beneficiaries / Budget / Time line Operators in the fishery sector like: Individuals Legal entities including sole proprietors 1.28 million euro The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery state aid -1 The support aims transition from use of conventional to environmental (extruded and granulated) fodder. The aim of support is to compensate farmers for additional costs because of the use of environmental (extruded and granulated) fodder, in comparison with the conventional one. The support will be granted on annual basis, in return of invoices for bought fodder, while check-up of the species and numbers of the bred fish will be made, according to the farmer’s registration. The Danube PES Project

PES MeetingDate 2 April, 2012 Fishery state aid -2 The support is targeted to the operators, who use water from open water sources, but is not limited only to them. It should encourage improving of natural environment of fish, by improving the water quality. Beneficiaries have the opportunity to choose by themselves measures for water quality improvement. The support is represented by covering of % of costs for water use, while the quality of waters going out of the basin should be better of the one on the basin entrance. Water quality should be proved with chemical analysis of the water, made twice annually from operators. Support would have effect over the environment and the operative costs of operators. The Danube PES Project

Thank you! PES meetingDate 2 April, 2012