In my thesis I am dealing with problem of predation of great cormorant on fishery supplies in the Czech Republic. In the first part I explain the problem, describe historical development and current status. I also mention situation in other EU countries, which does have some characteristics similar with the Czech Republic. In the end of the first part I will quantify damage caused by cormorant and I will show how this damage could be estimated. In the second part I am applying scheme of institutional analysis called Institutional Analysis and Development. Firstly I will explain this scheme and then I will apply it on the problem of great cormorant in the Czech Republic. Aim of my thesis is to find a recommendation how organizations and institutions should be set in order to help to resolve this issue.

<p>The strong increase in number of Great cormorants <i>Phalacrocorax carbo</i> in Sweden in recent years has led to conflicts - particularly with fishery. This thesis focuses on the possible effects of cormorant predation on fish populations. In total, data from 15 lakes in South Sweden were included in this study while most studies were carried out in Lake Ymsen. The results suggest that the impact of cormorant predation on natural fish populations was small, and I observed no decline in fish mass after cormorants established. Cormorant predation on eel was difficult to evaluate because of several confounding factors.</p><p>Ruffe, roach and perch were the most important prey species to the cormorants and most fish taken were small. Cormorants do not seem to catch species and sizes in proportion to their occurrence in the fish community.</p><p>Total fish removal by cormorants varied considerably among lakes (0.2-15.0 kg/ha) and cormorant population sizes at the different lakes were significantly positively correlated with fishery catches, which in turn was significantly positively correlated with total phosphorous levels. Thus, cormorant densities in lakes, and perhaps elsewhere, seem to be governed chiefly by fish densities. The fact that cormorant predation appears not to reduce fish densities suggest cormorants to be regulated by other means than prey depletion. The mechanism behind population regulation could be a behavioural response of fish, making fish more difficult to catch for the cormorants.</p><p>In recent years, cormorant populations have been subjected to intensive legal and illegal actions with the aim to reduce cormorant numbers. However, the actions currently carried are well below the efforts needed to limit population sizes. To conclude, cormorants appear to compete little with fishery, with regards to free-living fish. The main problem is that cormorants sometimes damage and take away fish in fishing gears.</p>

The strong increase in number of Great cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in Sweden in recent years has led to conflicts - particularly with fishery. This thesis focuses on the possible effects of cormorant predation on fish populations. In total, data from 15 lakes in South Sweden were included in this study while most studies were carried out in Lake Ymsen. The results suggest that the impact of cormorant predation on natural fish populations was small, and I observed no decline in fish mass after cormorants established. Cormorant predation on eel was difficult to evaluate because of several confounding factors. Ruffe, roach and perch were the most important prey species to the cormorants and most fish taken were small. Cormorants do not seem to catch species and sizes in proportion to their occurrence in the fish community. Total fish removal by cormorants varied considerably among lakes (0.2-15.0 kg/ha) and cormorant population sizes at the different lakes were significantly positively correlated with fishery catches, which in turn was significantly positively correlated with total phosphorous levels. Thus, cormorant densities in lakes, and perhaps elsewhere, seem to be governed chiefly by fish densities. The fact that cormorant predation appears not to reduce fish densities suggest cormorants to be regulated by other means than prey depletion. The mechanism behind population regulation could be a behavioural response of fish, making fish more difficult to catch for the cormorants. In recent years, cormorant populations have been subjected to intensive legal and illegal actions with the aim to reduce cormorant numbers. However, the actions currently carried are well below the efforts needed to limit population sizes. To conclude, cormorants appear to compete little with fishery, with regards to free-living fish. The main problem is that cormorants sometimes damage and take away fish in fishing gears.

The rapid expansion of Great Cormorant populations during the second part of the 20th century has caused many conflicts, mostly with fisheries. Cormorants are often considered as important reason for depleted fish stocks, although evidences are often insufficient. This study of the Great Cormorant diet took place in the largest Lithuanian colony near Juodkrantė. Important for the impact evaluation cormorant nutrition aspects, including diet composition, its temporal variation and feeding selectivity, were determined. The reliability of pellet analysis for quantitative dietary assessments was evaluated for the first time using a stable isotope mixing model. Great Cormorant impact on spatial fish distribution was also assessed for the first time. Long-term fish community monitoring data were used for Cormorant impact assessment in the Curonian Lagoon. The results of our study are important for providing improved assessments of the long-term effects of Cormorants on fish communities in large, complex, highly productive aquatic systems. The practical significance of this study is its evaluation of competition between cormorants and commercial fishermen, which enables to substantiate the need to regulate cormorant population. Assessments of Cormorant impact on invasive Round Goby populations is also important. / XX amžiaus antroje pusėje didžiųjų kormoranų populiacijos Europoje staigus augimas sukėlė eilę konfliktų, daugiausia su žvejais ir žuvų augintojais. Kormoranai dažnai kaltinami dėl mažėjančių žuvų išteklių, tačiau moksliniais tyrimais pagrįstų įrodymų dažnai trūksta. Šiame tyrime buvo tiriama didžiųjų kormoranų mityba didžiausioje Lietuvoje Juodkrantės kolonijoje. Darbe buvo nustatyti svarbūs kormoranų poveikio vertinimui mitybos aspektai – raciono sudėtis ir jos kitimas laike, mitybos selektyvumas. Pirmą kartą buvo įvertintas atrajų analizės metodo patikimumas raciono sudėties kiekybiniam vertinimui, naudojant stabiliųjų izotopų sudėties analizės metodą. Taip pat pirmą kartą buvo vertinamas didžiųjų kormoranų poveikis žuvų populiacijoms erdvėje. Remiantis daugiamečio monitoringo duomenimis, buvo įvertintas kormoranų poveikis žuvų populiacijoms Kuršių mariose. Šio tyrimo rezultatai leidžia geriau įvertinti didžiųjų kormoranų ilgalaikį poveikį žuvų bendrijoms didelėse sudėtingose aukšto produktyvumo vandens sistemose. Praktinę vertę šiame darbe turi kormoranų ir žvejų verslininkų tiesioginės ir netiesioginės konkurencijos įvertinimas, leidžiantis pagrįsti kormoranų populiacijos reguliavimo priemonių tikslingumą. Svarbus praktiškai yra ir kormoranų poveikio invazinio juodažiočio grundalo populiacijai įvertinimas.

The thesis analyses compensations of damages caused by great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in fish farms in South Bohemian Region pursuant to Act. No 115/2000 Sb. till 2011. In the introductory section is described a development of population of nesting and migrating Great cormorants in Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic from the 80th of last century, and reasons for conflict between this species conservation and fish farming including legal conditions for compensation to pond owners and a development of compensation issues in the Czech Republic. This thesis assesses an overall status of the compensation of damages already paid in South Bohemia, analyses claimants according subject type and compares the amount of compensation of damages in relation to the number and the pond area including the frequency of submitted apllications by different types of claimants and the relationship to individual districts of South Bohemian Region. The survey in five chosen ponds in Třeboňsko region evaluates a current secondary damages caused by Great cormorants in the form of injured fishes obtained during fishing out.

Piscivorous birds are an integrated part of lake and coastline ecosystems. Despite decades of research it is yet unclear what influence fish eating birds have on the fish community. The aim of this literature study was to focus on how two fish eating birds, Great Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe, influence the fish community in shallow and eutrophic lakes. Different types of analysis methods have been used when doing research on the subject, including pellet analysis, stomach content analysis, tagging of fishes by “PIT”-techniques and analysis by observation. Results show that conclusions by studies tend to vary, but generally higher bird density, lower water temperature and a relatively high turbidity contribute to a higher influence on the fish community. Both bird species are opportunistic in their choice of food and catch prey of the species that occur locally. Both species also limit themselves in the prey size, but the choice vary over seasons because of water temperature and the birds requirements in association with breeding and migration. The significant level of influence seems to be when predation is conducted on younger and smaller fishes. The influence on the fish size can also be indirect, where predation on smaller individuals prevent fishes from becoming older and bigger. As studies tend to deviate in conclusion, no general answer to this issue can be given at present. Comprehensive research with several years of full control over both fish-and bird population is needed to find the proper conclusion.

Recreational fishing is a very important leisure activity and one of the most important ways how humans influence freshwater habitats and wild fish populations. Both fish-eating predators and socio-economic trends play a major role in recreational fishing. This thesis found that the Eurasian otter feeds mainly of small (5-10 g) and very abundant fish species of low angling value. In this case, gudgeon Gobio gobio dominated in the otter diet. The overlap between catches of otters and anglers was very low, and commercially important salmonids made up only 10 % of the otter diet by biomass. Cormorants also prey mostly on smaller (10-100 g) a very abundant fish species. In this case, roach Rutilus rutilus dominated in the cormorant diet. The overlap between catches of cormorants and anglers was also quite low. Commercially important fish species made up less than 10 % of the cormorant diet. Even though cormorants consume mostly smaller fish, they are potentially removing fish that serve as prey for piscivores, and they are also removing smaller fish that would grow into angling size. The Atlantic salmon Salmo salar reintroduction programme has not yet been successful. However, cormorant predation is not the main reason for its low success. The main problem is somewhere on the lower River Elbe in...

vi Abstract Continental subspecies of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) is the Czech Republic's most important fish-eating predator. It causes damage to production fish, as well as sport fishermen and even after its removal from the Czech list of endangered species in 2013, it did not disappear from the spotlight of both local fishermen and researchers. This thesis evaluates the qualitative and quantitative composition of the cormorant's diet during winter 2011/2012 at two selected locations: the Žehuň pond (Kolín district) and Berounka river in the natural reserve Zábělá near Pilsen. This work studies the main components of cormorant's diet in the selected locations and evaluates potential fluctuations and changes in its composition during winter. The study also conducted the analysis of the proportion of commercially harvested valuable fish in cormorant's diet and studied its diversity of the species spectrum. The resulting data for the two sites were compared with each other and with relevant literature. Regurgitated pellets analysis, as well as analysis of diagnostic bones and fish remains located at the sleeping roosts (night roosts) were used for the diet analysis. It was found that at both sites roach was the most caught fish, but from the point of view of total biomass, it was...

Piscivorous birds are often blamed for causing significant damage to fish stocks. Various methods are used to determine the composition of their food, each of them has limits in its ability to determine the complete food spectrum. This work maps the complete food composition of 14 species of fish-eating birds with a method that is not commonly used. Method used in this work uses analysis of publicly available photos on Google.com. In addition to the complete composition of the food, the species composition of the non-fish part of the prey was also determined, and in the case of the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), also the length of the fishes it catches. The aim of this work is to reveal the usability of this method for these purposes. A total of 2350 retrieved photographs were analyzed. The results obtained by photo analysis are in all cases compared with data in the available literature. For representatives of heron birds (Ardeidae), the analysis of photographs provided good information on the food spectrum of individual birds and on the qualitative composition of the non-fish component. It also provided relatively good information on the diet of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), but the bird part of the prey was slightly underestimated. In the diet of the Great Crested Grebe...