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Social ecology in the Danube Delta: Theory and practice
Author(s) -
Boja Virginia,
Popescu Ioana
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
lakes and reservoirs: research and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.296
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1440-1770
pISSN - 1320-5331
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1770.2000.00107.x
Subject(s) - delta , fishing , geography , river delta , ethnic group , population , wildlife , fishery , economic growth , business , political science , ecology , sociology , economics , demography , law , engineering , biology , aerospace engineering
Approximately 15 000 people make their homes in the Danube Delta. They live in small villages throughout the Delta and subsist on fishing with subsidiary occupations of agriculture and animal husbandry. Their homes are traditional and built of locally available materials. Efforts during the communist regime to centralise, homogenise and industrialise the population were not a resounding success. There is a large degree of ethnic diversity: four ethnic and three religious groups are present, although interactions between the groups are harmonious. There is little entertainment in the region and a poor infrastructure for education and health care. Fishing is controlled through fisheries who assign quotas and purchase the fish harvest. Prices are low and black market fisheries flourish. Conservation of the Delta is being carried out by the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DDBR). The implementation of fish and wildlife control is carried out by rangers, who are disliked by the inhabitants because of their aggressive tactics. They are regarded as complementary to the Delta police. The separation of the DDBR, regional politicians and the people is unfortunate and there is a need to involve all parties in the maintenance of the Delta ecosystem and the lifestyle associated with the ecosystem.