In the old Länder, carp production largely focuses on nort- hern Bavaria. The old carp breeds or strains in Bavarian carp pond farming mixed and frequently disappeared through the purchase of carp for stocking and trade re- lations with East European countries, especially with the Czech Republic but also with Hungary and Yugoslavia. There has hardly been any exchange of carp breeding material with eastern Germany over forty years.
Carp pond farming used to be largely self-sufficient in the German Democratic Republic and had almost been unaf- fected by imports of carps for stocking. Therefore, local breeds have again been raised in many pond farms after the Second World War through inbreeding. In spite of that, the genetic variability within the German commercially farmed carp is insignificant. The Bavarian (Seckendorff, Scheuermann, Hertlein, Wiesinger and Fiedler) as well as the Lausitz carp provenances (Kreba, Glinzig, Petkamsberg, Kauppa) are gene- tically closely related in spite of separate breeding activities over forty years. Morphologically wild carp-like stocks in the Rhine and Danube differ considerably from pond carps.
Currently no serious efforts are undertaken in Bavaria to preserve or maintain pure breeds, whereas large pond farms in the Lausitz still pay attention to the special hus- bandry of their breeding material. However, in connection with the protection of the indication of geographical ori- gin under Regulation (EEC) 2081/92, most Aischgründer pond farmers, for instance, consider the humpback shape of carp as a key characteristic for customers, the hotel and restaurant industry and the wholesale trade. According to a study conducted by the technical college of Weihenstephan, 23% of the pond farmers take the view that the humpback shape of the Aischgründer carp should be improved. The respective local origins (pure lines or breeds) should be preserved separately. It is advisable to recruit and supple- ment the spawner stocks according to the hitherto employed criteria of selection from the offspring. The typical physical appearance of these origins should be selected in the process with a view to the distinctness and uniformity of the body shape, squamation and colour. The breeding targets of regi- onal origins should be documented and centrally compiled. Carp filet
The hitherto known wild carps in the Rhine and Danube should be subject to further genotypical and phenoty- pical research, description and documentation. Once their identity as wild carp has been substantiated, a na- tional programme of protection should be drawn up. All defined and documented carp origins should be sub- ject to a genotypical characterisation. Genotypical exa- minations should also be conducted on samples taken from the conventional carp production in Germany and compared with those of defined origins. Surveys and do- cumentations should be supported insofar as possible. A first documentation of carp lines including a genotypical characterization of selected lines is now available. Should the Expert Committee discover that the defined origins differ considerably from the remaining population in ge- notypical terms, it will decide whether the husbandry of these origins should be fostered. Origins from abroad can also be included in the studies and documentations. International cooperation plays a major role for the con- servation of the genetic resources of carp. In our Eastern and Southern European neighbouring states, carp pond farming carries far greater weight. The groundwork has over the past few years been laid in the big research centres of these countries to keep and reproduce a lar- ger number of carp breeds separately that clearly differ from each other in genetic terms. In some cases, the way has already been paved for conducting performance tests and hybridization under stringent scientific super- vision. The following examples should be pointed out:
ó At the fisheries experimental station of the Polish Aca- demy of Sciences in Gołysz (Institute of Ichthyobiology and Aquaculture - Polish Academy of Sciences Gołysz 43-520 Chybie), two experimental ponds had been built specifically for conducting performance tests. Over 20 Polish, Israeli, French, Hungarian, Yugoslavian and Ger- man carp origins are held available for relevant tests.
ó The Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobio- logy in Vodnany Zatisi 728/II, 38925 Vodñany, Czech Republic, addresses questions of fish genetics and the breeding of carp. To this end, genetically distant ori- gins of spawning carp are also being made available.
ó Carp breeding at the Hungarian Research Institute for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Irrigation (H-5540 Szarvas, Anna-liget 8., H-5541 Szarvas, P O.Box 47, Hungary) has traditionally been carried out at a high standard.
ó In Vietnam, a large number of morphologically and genetically widely varying strains and subspecies of Cyprinus carpio occurs that has only recently been de- scribed within the scope of research programmes con- ducted by the University of Hanoi (Faculty of Biology, Hanoi Pedagogic University N. 1 Nha E6, P. 201 Khu Than Cong, Hanoi, Vietnam) (Tran Dinh Trong, 1995). It is therefore advisable for the conservation of the genetic resources of this fish species to establish contacts with these establishments to be able to have recourse, if required, to the gene resources kept there for the purpose of hybridisation. If carp breeds with excellent properties result from the comprehensive work of performance tests and hybridisation experiments at the foreign institutes, these stocks should be tested for their performance under the conditions of German carp pond farming at a fisheries research centre of one of the German Länder under controlled conditions to compare it with German carp fry used for commercial purposes. The measures for the conservation of accom-
panying fish should be along the same lines as those for carp. Genetic characterisations and do- cumentations take precedence, first of all.
Need for action:
ó The origins (pure breeds) of pond carp and wild carp stocks should be described and documented.
ó Measures for the conservation of existing breeds in pond farms and their use should be supported.
ó Genetic studies should evaluate whether the ori- gins and wild carp stocks differ considerably from the remaining carp population.
ó Under the aspect of the precautionary ap- proach, a nationwide documentation of the exi- sting breeding strains should be aimed at.
ó Cooperation at federal and international level should be fostered, with synergetic effects being used.
ó It should be examined whether the measures are adequate for ensuring the preservation of aquatic ge- netic resources. It should perhaps be tested whether genetic resources must be compiled in genebanks.
6.3.3 Measures concerning other