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Fish population in the Mindel: Cooperative reacts to massive threats!
The Obere Mindel fishing cooperative in Unterallgäu addresses urgent challenges to fish stocks due to climate change and predators.
Fish population in the Mindel: Cooperative reacts to massive threats!
The Obere Mindel fishing cooperative is faced with serious challenges, which were also discussed at the annual general meeting. How Mercury reports, it is important to address the pressure on the local fish population. Climate changes, rising water temperatures and an increased risk of being eaten by cormorants and goosanders are putting a lot of strain on the populations. The first otter sightings on the water have made the situation even worse.
The compensation payments for the fishing cooperative caused by the otter amounted to an impressive 2.4 million euros across Bavaria in 2024. For comparison: the wolf cost just 30,000 euros. These enormous sums show how serious the problems are that fishermen have to contend with. The fish status report for Swabia also makes it clear that many native fish species are increasingly losing their habitat.
Challenges for fisheries
Falling water levels in the tributaries to the Mindel and Auerbach are particularly causing problems for fishermen. Managing director Edgar Putz emphasizes that it is necessary to adapt the stocking measures to the changed conditions. In addition, over 30,000 young fish were released into local waters to give the stocks a boost. However, the challenge is that flood events and high groundwater levels do not improve the situation.
In the new election of the board, Hans-Joachim Weirather was confirmed as chairman, supported by Michael Häring as deputy chairman and a team of assessors and auditors. Richard Tatzkow, who reliably audited the cooperative's accounts for 20 years, was particularly honored.
Overfishing and the global dimension
EU states reformed fisheries policy about ten years ago to combat overfishing by 2020 - and yet many fish stocks in this region remain overfished. The decline in fish consumption in Germany is another sign that consumers are becoming more sensitive, and German citizens spent 4.9 billion euros on fish in 2022, a decrease of 9 percent compared to the previous year.
The paths into the future
In order to meet these challenges, the WWF appeals to the need for sustainable population management and calls for the establishment of large-scale protected areas without commercial use. Better controls on catches at sea are also urgently needed. Finally, experts warn that climate change could make fishing conditions even more difficult. For every degree Celsius of warming, the global catch potential falls by over three million tons. This could have catastrophic consequences, especially in developing countries where many people rely on fish as a source of protein.
In view of these problems, it is clear that local initiatives such as the Obere Mindel fishing cooperative are important not only for the region, but for the entire water-specific area. Sustainable fish stocks that can better adapt to environmental changes are of utmost importance. Local actors are called upon to do their part and find innovative new ways to make fishing sustainable.