Climate change adaptation in carp pond farming in Brandenburg: Deriving management strategies for individual ponds based on water requirements, suitability for production and ecosystem services

The economic viability of carp pond farms – and thus the continuation of regional fish production – is heavily influenced by the availability of water as a resource. Consequently, in the face of advancing climate change and the cessation of groundwater extraction from opencast lignite mines, it is becoming increasingly important to develop estimates of the water requirements of managed carp ponds. Building on this, it will be possible to identify, for carp farming operations, which ponds can be used to secure or expand production volumes and capacities. This will enable us to determine how the available water resources can be optimally utilised for carp production and for maintaining the diverse ecosystem services provided by carp ponds. The project is being carried out in the form of work packages focusing on: the design of a pond database for the state of Brandenburg; the systematic recording of water requirements for 40–50 selected carp ponds in Brandenburg; the compilation of information on fertility, yield potential, ecosystem functionality and the specific characteristics of individual ponds; the analysis of water retention and water requirements in pond farming in relation to the available receiving watercourse; the formulation of recommendations for future management concepts; and the presentation of key findings in a geographic information system (QGIS). The project is intended to provide a basis for decision-making, with a view to obtaining sufficiently precise information in future regarding the water requirements of all carp ponds in Brandenburg’s carp pond industry.

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