Fish Ecological Monitoring Activity Report 2020

Following the completion of the field work and initial evaluation in 2020, an activity report will be submitted to present the interim results of the 2020 fishing activities on the edge of the reed belt at observed feeding sites of piscivor birds. Due to the low water level, the 2020 study programme had to be moved to areas that could still be navigated by motorboat for shore strip fishing. Large parts of the inner reed belt were separated and could no longer be reached on the sea side. The surveys included electrofishing in four selected areas of the reed belt: Illmitzer Bay with nearby canals and three areas in the core zone of the National Park, the so-called Silbersee. At the four sites, after consultation with ornithologists, various fish-eating bird species, in particular herons (grey and silver heron, cormorant and dwarf scarves) were observed during hunting. In 2020, the surveys of fish density and fish biomass along the reed edges in these areas were also carried out by means of electrofishing from the boat.