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The Hungarian fish farming sector is one of the smaller components of the national animal husbandry sectors. Its annual gross production value is 8.5-9 billion Ft, which represents only 2.5% of the entire animal production. More than 80% of the sector’s income is produced in specially built ponds, in pond farming conditions. The profitability of the sector is estimated as being 20-80 000 Ft per hectare of pond surface. Most of the annually produced 17 000 tons of fish are sold alive to the consumers. The ratio of processed fish is 15% while in other European countries this figure reaches 35%.

In spite of the internationally acknowledged status of Hungarian fish farming, it still uses ancient methods that are labour intensive and with low levels of mechanisation as well as difficult and unhealthy working conditions. These conditions have led to the development and implementation of an important sectoral RTD project.

The number of organisations participating in this R&D project is 35 (29 companies and 6 institutions).

The original 15 subtopics were divided further as a result of the large number of participants and the complexity of topics and in its final form the contract with the Ministry of Education contained 74 subtopics with independent budgets as the participants assumed basic as well as technological R&D tasks in many fields of science. Altogether 27 accredited education personnel and professional research staff have participated in the development of basic research work that laid the fundation for the R&D work in fisheries.

There are 29 fish farming companies participating in the project which together produce more than 80% of the production value of the entire fishery sector.

The objectives determined in this sectoral project were the following:

1. To increase the fish consumption of the population by raising the volume of processed and ready-to-use fish products.
2. To contribute to the increasing profitability of the sector by increasing fish exports, improving the status of mechanisation, creating more acceptable working conditions and preparing for a change in the product structure.
3. To develop alternative income sources for fish farms (by exploring the possibilities of recreational fishing and eco-tourism), adaptation of ecological approach, the reconciliation of interests of environment protection and production.

Prof László Horváth is the head of the Fish Culture Department of the Szent István University. He has published numerous books on carp farming and the results of his research activity have been published in 113 peer-reviwed scientific papers. He also plays a very active role in transferring the results of the science into technology.

Dr. Béla Urbanyi is an associate professor at the department and his main research area is the reproduction biology of freshwater fish. He also works as a scintific manager in some national and EU supported research projects.

Contact details : Post: Szent István University, Department of Fish Culture, 2103 Gödöllő Páter K. u. 1. E-mail: urbanyib@nt.ktg.gau.hu