THE PERSPECTIVES OF COMMERCIAL FISHERY USE OF THE KHADZHYBEY LAGOON

Purpose. To provide recommendations on further optimum sustainable use of all water area of the Khadzhbey lagoon as a fisheries water body. Methodology. Hydrological and ichthyological samples have been collected according to standard methods. Fish were caught using gill net with mesh size from 25 to 110 mm and twin trawl with mesh size of 30?40 mm in cod-end. The methodical guidelines ?Metodiki zboru і obrobki іhtіologіchnih і gіdrobіologіchnih materіalіv z metoju viznachennja lіmіtіv promislovogo viluchennja rib z velikih vodoshovishh і limanіv Ukrainy? (К., 1998) and ?Metodicheskie ukazanija po ocenke chislennosti ryb v presnovodnyh vodoemah? (M.: VNIIPRH, 1990) were used for fish stock assessment. Findings. The paper presents the data on the state of food base of the Khadzhybei lagoon, the dynamics and current state of commercial fish fauna associated with water salinity changes. It was demonstrated that the annual commercial catch of fish in the Khadzhybey lagoon in 2007?2014 ranged from 302.4 to 1,119.0 tons. The catches were dominated by red lip mullet (haarder) (149.7?905.1 tons), Chinese carps (56,5?282,3 tons) and Prussian carp (10,1?171,7 tons). The stock of haarder and pikeperch in the Khadzhybey lagoon depends on the efficiency of their spawning as well as on the intensity of fish harvest. The stocks of freshwater fish ? Prussian carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and common carp completely depend on artificial stocking with these species. It was shown that there is a tendency of the gradual increase in salinity of the water body in the condition of the regulated inflow of rivers, loss of the permanent connection of the lagoon with the sea, and climate change. Further increase in the salinity will result in significant reduction in fish productivity of the water body. A necessity for performing works aimed at improving the hydrological regimen of waters of the Khadzhybey lagoon and Paliev bay was shown. Originality. The recommendations on the optimum sustainable use of the total area of the Khadzhybey lagoon as a fisheries water body are provided for the first time. Current state of commercial fish fauna is presented. Practical value. Two variants (trends) of fisheries use of the Khadzhibey lagoon and Paliev Bay as a single water body were proposed. The introduced red lip mullet Liza haematocheila (Temminck et Schlegel, 1845) as the species the most adapted to the current regime of high salinity in the lagoon serves as the major commercial species in the both cases of the proposed exploitation of the lagoon.