{"id":21314,"date":"2022-12-13T19:35:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T18:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2022\/12\/rybi-obsadky-vodnich-prvku-pamatkove-chranenych-arealu-2\/"},"modified":"2024-07-23T16:40:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T15:40:17","slug":"rybi-obsadky-vodnich-prvku-pamatkove-chranenych-arealu-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2022\/12\/rybi-obsadky-vodnich-prvku-pamatkove-chranenych-arealu-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Fish stocks of water elements in heritage protected complexes"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABSTRACT<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The aim of\u202fthis article is to present the\u202fresults and conclusions of\u202fresearch which focused on recommending an appropriate approach for the\u202fcreation and maintenance of\u202ffish stocks in various types of\u202fwater elements, from small ornamental pools to formal water elements and large close-to-nature fish ponds. These elements form part of\u202fcultural monument complexes and heritage protected settlements (especially historic gardens and chateau parks, religious complexes, village and urban heritage reserves). Detailed results are described of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>a two-year investigation of\u202fvarious types of\u202fwater elements located in Krom\u011b\u0159\u00ed\u017e gardens, \u010cerven\u00e9 Po\u0159\u00ed\u010d\u00ed Chateau, and the\u202fformer monastery in Osek, near Teplice, as examples of\u202fcultural monuments and their water elements. Issues of\u202fpossible management of\u202ffish stocks, modifications of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>aquatic environment to ensure stable conditions for fish farming, and the\u202freduction of\u202fnegative interaction of\u202fpollution and excessive or inappropriately chosen fish stocks and aesthetic perception of\u202fwater elements are discussed. The\u202fresults of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>field investigations have shown an unsatisfactory state of\u202fvirtually all locations due to water eutrophication, overgrowth of\u202fvegetation in some water elements, unregulated interventions in fish stocks, and uncontrolled fishing resulting in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>reduction of\u202fpredatory species population and the\u202foccurrence of\u202finvasive species. At<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>same time, a relatively low awareness of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>possibilities of\u202fregulating fish stocks and of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>principles of\u202fsustainable maintenance have been found.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Leaving aside ancient civilisations and traditions, targeted breeding of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>animals and, in particular, fish in water elements in gardens has been documented since the\u202fMiddle Ages. Fish tanks in gardens served not only to provide a ready-made stock of\u202ffresh meat for cooking but there are written reports preserved also mentioning the\u202fconstruction of\u202ffish-breeding reservoirs which are purely ornamental [1]. Parts of\u202fgardens were stone water tanks from which richly decorated pools and fountains of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Renaissance and Baroque eras originated. The\u202fexistence of\u202fpools for fish and aquatic bird breeding is mentioned In some of\u202four significant Baroque gardens, such as Ostrov nad Oh\u0159\u00ed, Kv\u011btn\u00e1 zahrada (Flower garden) in Krom\u011b\u0159\u00ed\u017e, Libosad in Ji\u010d\u00edn, and \u010cesk\u00fd Krumlov garden. Fish of\u202fnatural colour were poorly visible in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>water, so preference was given to the\u202fbreeding of\u202fcolourful forms, especially Prussian carp (or goldfish, <\/span>Carassius auratus<\/span><\/i>).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The breeding of\u202fcertain species of\u202ffish and water birds has brought about increased demand for water purification and aeration. If an abundant water source was available in an elevated location where the\u202fflow-through system did not demand water pumping, i.e. it could be in operation continuously, there was no problem maintaining the\u202fdesired water cleanness. It was then possible to breed birds and more demanding fish species, such as trout in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>pool of\u202fC\u00edsa\u0159sk\u00fd ml\u00fdn in Prague under the\u202freign of\u202fRudolf II. If it was possible to turn on water elements, or their dynamic parts \u2013 such as water jets \u2013 for a limited time only, it was necessary to breed fish which were not so demanding with regard to\u202fthe\u202foxygen content in water, e.g. carp. So-called \u201cPstru\u017e\u00ed rybn\u00edky\u201d (Trout ponds) in Krom\u011b\u0159\u00ed\u017e were stocked with carp because the\u202fwater source for these ponds were wells from which water had to be pumped, so water jets were probably only in operation when visitors were in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>garden. In large ponds in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>garden, domestic fish species were certainly bred, but specific archival documents that have been preserved are only those referring to fish stocks for kitchen use. In<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>chateau park of\u202f\u010cesk\u00fd Krumlov, during the\u202f17<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> and the\u202ffirst half of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>18<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> centuries, carp breeding is documented in Velk\u00fd z\u00e1meck\u00fd rybn\u00edk (Great chateau pond), which was supplied with water from an aqueduct that took water from the\u202fPole\u010dnice river. There was a separate small reservoir (Pstru\u017e\u00ed rybn\u00edk) established in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>garden for trout breeding, which was supplied with colder and cleaner water from the\u202fnearby wood called Dub\u00edk.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is evident from the\u202faforementioned information that domestic fish species farming was probably quite common in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>majority of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>all informally established water elements in landscape parks. From at least the\u202f18<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> century, preference was given to colourfully distinctive fish species in regular pools. Breeding of\u202fdomestic, especially nobler kinds of\u202ffish (e.g. trout species) was documented in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>these reservoirs from the\u202f16<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> century. Fish stocks in water elements are connected in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>modern era, i.e. from the\u202f19<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, with the\u202fdevelopment of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>ornamental fish sector.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The beginnings of\u202fornamental (decorative, aquarium) fish breeding\u202f\u2013\u202fi.e.\u202fbreeding for non-consumable purposes \u2013 are usually associated with medieval China, where, after centuries of\u202fexperiments, the\u202fso-called goldfish and its veiled form \u2013 the\u202fveiled fish \u2013 were bred from <\/span>Carassius auratus<\/span><\/i> [2]. The\u202ffirst records of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>their import into Europe are from the\u202f17<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century. It was not until the\u202ffirst half of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>18<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup>\u202fcentury that<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>veiled fish became more widespread in Europe, when its reproduction was successful in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Netherlands (1728). From the\u202f18<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, goldfish breeding became prestigious in royal houses, later they started to appear as decorations in noble mansions and bourgeois houses. These oldest aquarium specimens were imported into Europe, into Germany and subsequently also into Czech lands, in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>1870<\/span>s<\/span><\/sup> and 1880<\/span>s<\/span><\/sup>. At<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>time when goldfish breeding became a form of\u202fmass interior decoration, it started to be used similarly in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>exterior \u2013 especially by the\u202faristocracy in chateau garden ponds. In Western Europe, where it was more common, goldfish were also present in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>wild where they escaped either from garden ponds or they were added there deliberately. Goldfish successfully interbred with <\/span>Carassius carassius<\/span><\/i> which was common in southern England, Scandinavia, and continental Europe in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>area from the\u202fRhine river towards the\u202feast. <\/span>Carassius auratus<\/span><\/i> and its forms were more suitable for the\u202fexterior, for ornamental ponds where they were bred similarly as tench and its colourful forms\u00a0<\/span>or Nishikigoi fish (<\/span>Cyprinus carpio haematopteru<\/span><\/i>s) [3, 4]. Their breeding in our country at<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>turn of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>19<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> and 20<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> centuries was documented, among other things, by <\/span>\u201cthe exhibition unique in<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>richness and variety of<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>exhibited live pond, river and ornamental fish[…], such which have never been seen in Czech exhibitions before\u201d<\/span><\/i> which took place on the\u202finitiative of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Agricultural Council in Prague in Kol\u00edn in 1908. Part of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>an extensive programme was also an exhibition of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>aforementioned decorative fish breeding. During the\u202f20<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, including the\u202fdecades after 1989, breeding of\u202fother fish species and their ornamental forms were introduced, such as golden and blue orfe, various types of\u202fsturgeon and, in particular, various variants of\u202f\u201ckoi\u201d carps [5].<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consumable fish breeding has a very special place in our history, and is closely connected with the\u202fcenturies-old tradition of\u202fconstructing artificial reservoirs (ponds) whose main \u2013 but not sole \u2013 purpose was to breed and produce fish. Pond management was one of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>key forms of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>aristocratic entrepreneurship. Families who became especially famous for building extensive pond systems were the\u202fPern\u0161tejn (Pardubice, Pod\u011bbrady, southern Moravia regions) and the\u202fRo\u017emberk (T\u0159ebo\u0148 region). The\u202fboom era for the\u202ffish trade occurred in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>15<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> and 16<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> centuries. The\u202fadvantage of\u202finvesting in pond management was related, among other things, to the\u202fdiscovery of\u202fthree-stage carp farming (in fish fry ponds, fish juvenile ponds, and main ponds). From the\u202fThirty Years\u2019 War, and especially in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>second half of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>18<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, there was a rapid reduction in pond water areas and also a decline in fish meat consumption. The\u202feconomic potential of\u202fpond management of\u202fextensive fish farming faded away and prices of\u202ffish, especially of\u202fcarp, stagnated due to overproduction. This manifested itself in lower investment in pond maintenance and related lower yields. More profitable sectors of\u202ffood production came to the\u202fforefront (beer industry, grain, forage and, later, sugar beet growing, cattle breeding, etc.). <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The decline of\u202fpond management and lower general interest in traditional kinds of\u202ffish as an integral part of\u202finhabitants\u2019 diets lasted till the\u202fmiddle of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>19<\/span>t<\/sup>h<\/span> century. At<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>time of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>culmination of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>decline, the\u202fspecies diversity of\u202fpond fish changed. At<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>end of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>17<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century and during the\u202f18<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> century, the\u202fcarp, which had had a dominant position among fish so far, gained strong rivals in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>form of\u202f\u201csecondary fish species\u201d, such as tench, pike, crucian carp, perch, loach, pikeperch, burbot, trout, and also \u201cwhite fish species\u201d, especially roach and rudd. As they became more popular among consumers, they were stocked in ponds next to carps and pikes, and special-purpose breeding ponds started to be founded (trouts, pikes). Many carp ponds were converted into mixed ponds. The\u202fbetter quality of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>predatory pikeperch of\u202fEastern European origin led to it starting to be preferred to traditional pond pike breeding in many places (e.g. in southern Moravia), which continued throughout the\u202fwhole of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>19<\/span>t<\/sup>h<\/span> century until the\u202foriginal carp\u2013pike link returned. At<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>beginning of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>19<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> century, carp, pike, and pikeperch were\u00a0<\/span>evaluated as the\u202fmost important kinds of\u202ffish. In<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>meantime, the\u202feconomic significance of\u202ftench as the\u202fmain \u201csecondary fish\u201d at<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>expense of\u202fpreviously preferred crucian carp also grew. This development was documented in examples of\u202fMoravian pond management but it is applicable, with slight regional deviations, for the\u202frest of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Czech lands too.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a turnaround in terms of\u202fpond management in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>third quarter of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>19<\/span>t<\/sup>h<\/span> century, when the\u202fprocess of\u202fpond cancellation culminated and when, at<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>same time, demand for fish meat increased, the\u202fprice of\u202fwhich rose many times in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>meantime. New circumstances forced owners of\u202fmanors to use remaining areas more effectively and to slightly increase them. The\u202freturn to profitability of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>traditional industry was facilitated by structural changes in agricultural business, new trends in fish farming coming from Western Europe, and, above all, the\u202frecognition of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>national economic importance of\u202ffishing, manifested, among other things, in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>form of\u202ffishing laws (Reich 1885, Moravian 1895) and the\u202festablishment of\u202fbranch associations. Carp breeding \u2013 as the\u202fkey commodity of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Czech lands \u2013 was put on a scientific basis thanks to the\u202fefforts of\u202fTom\u00e1\u0161 Dubisch in T\u011b\u0161\u00edn (chamber) ponds and Josef \u0160usta in southern Bohemia (Schwarzenberg) ponds [6]. Their innovative approaches, cultivation, and introduction of\u202fnew species of\u202ffish (i.a., Theodor Mokr\u00fd bred a new species of\u202fmirror carp known as \u201cmodr\u00e1k\u201d \u2013 coloured in blue \u2013 at a manor in Ln\u00e1\u0159e), food care, and condition of\u202fponds, as well as the\u202frecognition of\u202fpatterns in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>relationship between fish and their environment, significantly helped to improve the\u202fefficiency of\u202ffish production [7]. Their efforts represented a critical turning point in artificial breeding of\u202ffreshwater fish, with international significance which achieved the\u202forganisation of\u202fpond management within<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>whole Central European territory. Further development of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>production fish industry in<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Czech lands has been already well documented and described in many publications by several authors (e.g. [8\u201310]).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The aim of\u202fthis article is to present the\u202fresults and conclusions of\u202findividual parts of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>research which focused on recommending an appropriate approach for the\u202fcreation and maintenance of\u202ffish stocks in various types of\u202fwater elements, from small ornamental pools to formal water elements and large close-to-nature fish ponds. These elements form part of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>areas of\u202fcultural monuments and heritage-protected settlements (especially historic gardens and parks of\u202fcastles, monasteries, village and urban heritage reserves). The\u202fresearch took place between 2016 and 2019 as part of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>DG16P02M032 project <\/span>\u201cNon-invasive and economical techniques of\u202fwater elements environment quality and maintenance solution in<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>frame of\u202fhistorical monuments care\u201d<\/span><\/i> within<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f <\/span>NAKI II programme of<\/span>\u202f<\/span>the<\/span>\u202f<\/span>Ministry of\u202fCulture [11].<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

METHODOLOGY<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n