"After some years we will call the International Carp Conference in Kazimierz Dolny a milestone in the history of European carp farming and are a part of it." said Hans Erik Bylling.

The two days meeting, which took place on 15-16th September 2011 in Kazimierz Dolny in Poland brought together 183 participants from Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine, Estonia and Romania.

Subjects like cormorants, KHV, EU funds and expectations of carp farming role in EU, as well as marketing initiatives were the main issues of the conference.

It was clear from the beginning that cormorants are an international problem as well as the solutions should be. The damage caused by this bird was presented and estimated by two specialists. However no long term solution has been agreed so far.

Fish diseases also know no borders and especially the listing of KHV as a disease under a must of eradication causes serious constraints for carp farms and brings no help to anyone. It has been said by the President of German Fish Farmers Association Mr Bernhard Feneis, that is has become not only an economic nightmare for carp farmers but also administrative burden.

Those two very heavy sessions were followed by a marketing session, where a great number of case studies were presented how to promote carp. Special attention was given to the Polish campaign Mr. Carp (Pan Karp), which takes already 5 years.

Discussions were held in the conference room as well as during the gala dinner with life regional music followed by an informal evening with local beverages and carp dishes.

The next day of the conference was dedicated mostly to EU funds. The first session this day described the existing financial support available for carp farmers in Europe. The lectures were held by the representatives of the Agriculture Ministry in Poland and by Anna Pyć from Aller Aqua who gave a presentation on a different ways of implementation of aqua-environmental measures in different EU countries. The next session was going a step further and on the basis of what exists now was supposed to estimate the expectations regarding the financial support for 2014-2020. The speeches were held by Tamas Bardocz from Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and by Bernhard Feneis from VDBi. The new EU fund for fisheries is now under preparation therefore it is a perfect timing to have a discussion on it's shape. According to Tamas Bardocz aquaculture can count on a separate priority axis in the new fisheries fund, however due to the world crisis it is difficult to predict it's final shape.

Before the last session there was a short break with a theatre play by "Mr. Carp Theatre".

The last part of the conference was dedicted to other problems of carp farming. There were mentioned payments for water discharge in Lithuania, welfare of carp and food safety.

As a preparation the organizers have sent a survey to the associations of carp producers from different countries in order to gain reliable data regarding production as well as situation in the above mentioned areas of problems. Answeres gathered from majority of carp producing countries has let to present a very comprehensive material giving a complete picture of this sector in Europe. The ambition of the organizers was also to have an outcome of this meeting such as a rezolution relating to the most important issues of carp farming. This document is a prove of success of this conference.

The participants unanimously stated that there is a need to continue the conference idea in the next years.

All this took place in the very nice area of a small city of artists- Kazimierz Dolny in Poland.

See after the conference resolution!

Photo: Henryk Morawski, IRS