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Ciocanesti pilot site is located on the Romanian Lower Danube, within the former Danube floodplain in Calarasi County.
Much of the former mosaics of wetlands and natural channels, reed beds and patches of natural floodplain forest have been lost, but some remain, especially around the highly productive fish ponds, These ponds contribute considerably to the local economy but at the same time also to biodiversity conservation.
© WWF
Ciocanesti fishponds cover an area of 255 ha and are a Natura 2000 and potential Ramsar site. They are an important place for migration of 20.000 birds, feeding place for the two endangered species Pygmy cormorant and Ferruginous duck. The carbon storage potential of these wetlands have an estimated value of 9400 Euro per year.
Maintaining, and even increasing the biodiversity around the fish ponds, while at the same time continuing commercial fish production would require upgrading management practices. For example, grass and reed should be cut only after the breeding season.
Maintaining, and even increasing the biodiversity around the fish ponds, while at the same time continuing commercial fish production would require upgrading management practices. For example, grass and reed should be cut only after the breeding season.
Ecosystem services and their financial value
Fish production
3200 Euro/ha
Biodiversity maintenance (hunting penalties)
11 000 Euro
Carbon sequestration (reed, soil vegetation and trees)
5850 Euro/year
Carbon retention (trees)
3550 Euro
3200 Euro/ha
Biodiversity maintenance (hunting penalties)
11 000 Euro
Carbon sequestration (reed, soil vegetation and trees)
5850 Euro/year
Carbon retention (trees)
3550 Euro
The PES scheme
Support for the provision of ecosystem services from these areas is currently available from national payments for extensive fish farming practices (aqua-environmental measures co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund).
However, to recognize the real value of the biodiversity and the costs to the fishpond managers to sustain it, it is necessary to introduce more targeted payments.
That is why the WWF team developed and assessed how much it would cost to shift from pure profit-oriented to nature-responsible aquaculture business, also generating additional income from new opportunities, such as green premiums for nature-friendly aquaculture products or bird-watching tourism development.
A successful demonstration of extensive fish pond management in this pilot can have application for the many other fish ponds along the Lower Danube, in Romania as well as Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, many of which are valuable wetland areas whose benefits extend far beyond fish production.
However, to recognize the real value of the biodiversity and the costs to the fishpond managers to sustain it, it is necessary to introduce more targeted payments.
That is why the WWF team developed and assessed how much it would cost to shift from pure profit-oriented to nature-responsible aquaculture business, also generating additional income from new opportunities, such as green premiums for nature-friendly aquaculture products or bird-watching tourism development.
A successful demonstration of extensive fish pond management in this pilot can have application for the many other fish ponds along the Lower Danube, in Romania as well as Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, many of which are valuable wetland areas whose benefits extend far beyond fish production.