Romanian premier Calin Tariceanu announced that the government is considering banning commercial fishing in the Danube delta to protect the natural environment in one of Europe’s most biodiverse regions. It is told that a vast expanse of marshland on the shores of the Black Sea, dotted with tranquil lakes and reed islands, the Danube delta is home to many endangered species and a major resting stop for migratory birds.
Its biodiversity is threatened by pollution, poaching and overfishing, particularly of sturgeon, due to Romania’s widespread corruption which leads to abuse of fishing licences. Tariceanu also said that the government wants to take radical measures. He hope next year at the latest they will ban all fishing outside of tourism and competitions. Commercial fishing endangers the biological balance. In three to five years, the area’s local fishermen will not be able to catch anything.
It is fact that the Danube delta is one of Romania’s poorest regions, with many local communities made up of reed houses that lack basic services such as electricity and running water. The main occupations of the villagers are fishing and subsistence agriculture.
A Somova boat guide said hotels helped diminish poverty but villagers would struggle to give up fishing. It is observed that if fishing continues like this in the Danube delta then all the fish may die in the next few years.
