Regulation of carbofuran and its use to poison wildlife in the European Union and the rest of Europe - Carbofuran and Wildlife Poisoning: Global Perspectives and Forensic Approaches - page 136

5.2.1 Introduction
In the Czech Republic, there is a longstanding tradition of raising fi sh in artifi cial water bodies.
Indeed, our fi rst fi shponds were built in the thirteenth century. Fish was an important component
of the traditional Catholic practice of fasting on Fridays and common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) remains
the traditional Christmas meal for the vast majority of Czech families. Thus, producing fi sh in fi sh-
ponds has been a good source of income for a lot of farmers. Many wetlands have been converted to
fi shponds over the last 150 years, allowing the owner to profi t economically from what is considered
otherwise unusable land. Recent estimates indicate that over 20 000 tons of fi sh (mostly carp) are
produced in more than 50 000 fi shponds across the Czech Republic (Ženíšková and Gall 2009).
These ponds vary signifi cantly in size, ranging from less than 0.1 to several hundreds of hectares.
They are scattered throughout the landscape and in many cases organised in cascades of ponds which
create clusters of water bodies.
Many of the fi shponds were established several decades or centuries ago and, as such, usually
possess natural, stable banks which provide excellent habitat for species other than fi sh. Fishponds
therefore provide suitable, much-needed habitats in the country, where large scale transformation of
natural wetlands for agricultural and forestry purposes have occurred, particularly in the last century.
In fact, the presence of the fi shponds is the main reason that many populations of wildlife species
live and survive along the water bodies and wetlands at all, and many are considered to be biodiver-
sity hotspots and are even protected by the State.
Political changes occurring in the country in 1989 (i.e., the anti-Communist revolution) had,
and still have, far-reaching social, economic and environmental consequences. These changes also
led to modifi cations in the ownership structure and hence in the whole economy of the country. In
the 1950s, the private property of many citizens was nationalised by the leading Communist party
because private businesses were not allowed. During the 1990s, many State-owned companies were
given back either to former owners or their descendents, or they were privatised. Major changes have
also occurred in the transfer of ownership of land, which includes fi shponds.
Apart from such signifi cant changes to the economy of the country, the democratic development
of the State-led to an increased awareness of environmental issues in our people. Dramatic decreases
in air and water pollution, for example, have been recorded, and as a consequence of better environ-
mental quality and strict species protection, populations of many once critically endangered species
are now recovering. An increase in the population of several fi sh eating (or piscivorous) species in
the last two decades, namely cormorants ( Phalarcrocorax carbo ) and otters ( Lutra lutra ) among
others, together with change of ownership of fi sh farming enterprises (from public to private) put
special pressure on the confl ict between humans and wildlife. On the one hand, there is generally
high interest in the conservation of species and habitat, but on the other hand, the right of citizens to
use their land and reduce losses caused by wildlife is also considered very important. In the Czech
Republic, the fi sh farmer and the species which eat his fi sh (e.g., otter, cormorant and heron ( Ardea
cinerea )) have a long-standing relationship. Piscivorous species are not welcome at fi sh ponds and
thus measures have been taken to remove them. Before, unwanted predators were most often trapped
or shot, but as piscivorous predators are protected nowadays, methods that are secretive and harder
to detect, for example poisoning, are coming into use.
5.2.2 Poisoning of wildlife by carbofuran and its detection
within the Czech Republic
All insecticides containing carbofuran were sold in the Czech Republic under the trade name Furadan.
The form of insecticide varied from granules (25 kg per piece) to suspension (18 litres). Following the
producer's instruction manual for treatment of one hectare of fi eld, approximately 6 litres of Furadan