Current News

In the article: Effects of mining activities on fish communities and food web dynamics in a lowland river, co-authored by D. Hühn, the macrozoobenthos and fish communities in the Spree above and below a dam, where significantly different iron concentrations occur in the water, were compared. The main fish species in the highly iron-loaded water above the dam tended to feed on terrestrial food animals (insects) more than the species in the less iron-loaded water below the dam. While the communities above and below the dams did not differ in their composition, their growth was significantly different due to the energetically different food.

In the article: Optimising the mass marking of fish with alizarin red S: an example with glass eels by Janek Simon, published in the Journal of Fish Biology, deals with the optimised marking of eels with alizarin red S. The marking of fish is an important tool for fisheries management, especially for evaluating the stocking success of endangered fish species such as eels. In order to improve the tagging of glass eels with Alizarin Red S (ARS) and to reduce tagging costs, the study conducted laboratory experiments under different conditions (e.g. temperature, ARS concentration, immersion time, fish density) and with ARS from different suppliers. Among other things, two options for reducing labelling costs were identified. This creates the conditions for organising larger marking campaigns in a cost-efficient manner.

You can also download the article from our website in the publications section.

In the article: Sodium chloride (NaCl) as a treatment against trichodiniasis for pike perch (Sander lucioperca) in recirculating aquaculture systems by C. Naas et.al., published in Aquaculture International, deals with the treatment of ectoparasites in the aquaculture of pike perch. In the experiment presented, pikeperch from the Sacrower See net pen were transferred to recirculating aquaculture systems (KLA) with different NaCl concentrations. During the 21-day period, it was tested whether the ectoparasites naturally found on the pikeperch could be reduced or even eliminated using NaCl (0, 3, 6 g l-1). The use of 3 g NaCl l-1 proved to be insufficient despite the significant reduction in ectoparasites. Under conditions of closed KLA, however, the ectoparasite density of a representative of the Trichodidinae family could be completely eliminated with the aid of continuous exposure to 6 g NaCl l-1.

Our institute has gained an impressive building with modern laboratories (including climate chambers), office space and a state-of-the-art archive for our antiquarian book and specialist literature collection. Our network workshop has also found a spacious new home here.

If you are interested in the (German language) report on the building project read it here.

The face-to-face event was very well attended and focused intensively on carp pond management and its current challenges on the event's first day, 15 February 2023. Presentations by IfB staff and guests were very informative and were lively discussed by the carp pond farmers and trout producers present. The second day, on 22 February 2023, was similarly structured, dealing with the topic of eel and pike-perch and their management in inland waters. This topic was primarily aimed at commercial and angling fisheries as well as fisheries authorities.

Please read the detailed (German language) report on the Fischforum 2023, which was also published in the trade journal "Märkischer Angler", issue 02/2023.

On 23/09/2022, Brandenburg's Minister of Agriculture Axel Vogel and Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Agriculture Sven Schulze congratulated on a twin anniversary at the Jägerhof on Lake Sacrow together with representatives of the state governments of Thuringia and Schleswig-Holstein as well as associations, companies and authorities: Research into fish stocks and their use began here 100 years ago. And for 30 years, the Potsdam Institute of Inland Fisheries (IfB) has existed as an independent research institution on the basis of funding agreements with several federal states.

On 24/09/2022 the gates and doors of the Jägerhof were opened wide for the public to take a look behind the scenes of the work at the Institute. And the interest in the IfB's open day was great - more than 300 visitors found their way to us. Be it at demonstrations on small organisms in our waters, or at the various stations on fishery sampling devices, on inland fisheries, on aquaculture in climate change, on fish farming in recirculation systems, or even on the professional cutting and filleting of fish for cooking - lively discussions between visitors and Institute staff ensued everywhere.

At the Sacrow fish pull at the end of the open day, the handling of a pull net was demonstrated. The visitors could convince themselves of the delicious taste of freshly smoked Brandenburg fish at the stall by the lakeside.

Some impressions of the events can be gained here.

In connection with the development of the eel management plans for the German eel river basins (EMUs) and the preparation of the related implementation reports, the German Eel Model (GEM) was developed in cooperation with the Thünen Institute for Baltic Sea Fisheries in the period 2008-2017. This is an Excel-based, modular stock model that estimates the migrating silver eel quantity based on the stock input variables (natural increase, stocking), taking into account various mortality factors (natural mortality, commercial and recreational fishing, cormorant, hydropower plants). The GEM can be used to calculate both the reference value, the current silver eel outmigration and the future outmigration (forecast).

In order to enable the use of the German Eel Stock Model (version GEM IIIb) for further river basins, fish species and questions, a German-language version (Aalmodell GEM III_B-Version_Elbe_deutsch.xlsx) and an English-language version (Eelmodel GEM III_B-Version_Elbe_english.xlsx) can be downloaded free of charge. Furthermore, a German-language guide (Kurzbeschreibung_AalmodellGEM III_B-Version.pdf) is available on the structure of the model, how to use it and on the basic possibilities of use and results.

For the adaptation of the model to other river basins, but also for changes/precisions of basic model input variables, various model adaptations are necessary. For this purpose, an overview of all necessary model adaptations has been prepared and special Excel-based calculation tools have been developed, which you can view and download individually (see list below). Each of these tools contain corresponding calculation tables as well as a data sheet "ReadMe", in which the methodical procedure, the necessary input data, the calculations as well as the results are explained.

For further information and questions, please contact our staff member, Dipl.-Fischereiing. Erik Fladung, directly via .

Spreadsheets for model adaptation(in German language)

1. Übersicht notwendiger Modellanpassungen - overview model adaptations

2. Steigaale - Elbe

3. a) Besatzaale - Verteilung Elbe, fein  b)Besatzaale - Verteilung Elbe, grob

4. natürliche Sterblichkeit, Elbe

5. Schalter Mindestmaß Fischer und Angler

6. Kormoranaale

7. Kormorananteil nat. Mortalität

8. Blankaale - Verteilung Elbe

9. Dummy-Wert (Infoblatt)

10. Test Faktor Blankaalwerdung Männchen

11. Test Faktor Blankaalwerdung Weibchen

12. Kurzinfo Aalbestandsmodell

In the joint project "IBETA", funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMEL) and supervised by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), an analysis tool for assessing animal welfare during pikeperch fattening in recirculation systems was prepared by the IfB. The aim was to develop a simple tool for fish farmers to objectively, methodically and uniformly check and communicate their animal welfare approaches and results without certification costs to consumers, fisheries and veterinary authorities.

The analysis tool is based on an Excel spreadsheet. It is quite easy to use, however, the tool covers a complex subject matter.

In the BLE press release on the project, a presentation on the topic is linked, which allows an introduction.

Following many years of experience with pike-perch rearing, we have developed and tested the approach on this species as a model. However, it can also be adapted for other aquaculture candidates, husbandry forms and husbandry stages. This was successfully demonstrated by our partners at the Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum Baden-Württemberg, Fischereiforschungsstelle (FFS) Langenargen, who were able to use rainbow trout as an example,

The analysis tool developed for the pikeperch, including operating instructions, can be downloaded, as can the final report on the IBETA project.

The fish species distribution database is a central database with a continuously maintained register of state-wide fish species occurrences in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt.

Your help is needed here! To complete the state-wide data collections, your information on fish detections is always welcome. You will find further information on our fish species distribution database webpage.

The "Forellenhof" , an aquaculture farm in Themar, Thuringia, is a cooperation partner for an IfB pilot project where the IfB is testing various methods of pathogen reduction in aquaculture facilities. Climate change is responsible for the warming of surface water used in aquaculture facilities. Warmer water often also carries higher concentrations of pathogens. In the project, ozone, UV and peracetic acid are being tested as pathogen-reducing measures to ensure the welfare of fish in aquaculture. A programme by the MDR radio station dealt with the project and also conducted an interview with the IfB's project leader, Dr Christopher Naas,which can be viewed here.