Stakeholders participation in conservation of brown trout stocks in Serbia

Abstract

Native Brown Trout Salmo trutta reveal remarkable diversity in Serbia, with eight exclusive and a couple of more widely spread mtDNA haplotypes. Insufficiently controlled stocking is a main threat to that, as well as to the amenity value of wild Brown Trout. Native or wild Brown Trout stocks deteriorated as a consequence of stocking with inappropriate strains. Three nonnative trout species and three Brown Trout strains stocked into streams of Serbia were classified as medium-high to high risk of being invasive. Alien Brown Trout strains crossbreed with, and incorporate into the native Brown Trout stocks. Fly fishermen in Serbia greatly differ in attitudes towards fishery policy, management, and conservation of native Brown Trout stocks. They are opposed to conservation measures that may affect angling quality. Though declaratively being conservation-friendly, the majority of anglers consider stocking more efficient than Catch-and-Release (C&R) regulations. Despite good conservational and fishery effects of C&R, increases in license sales from fishermen presses trout farmers and fishery managers to stock, regardless of adverse effects on native Brown Trout stocks. Subsidiaries to farmers and grants awarded to fishery managers could promote stocking of native strains and conservation of native stocks.