Lake Balaton included in unique research analysing the data of 31 lakes around the world

According to a study published in Nature Communications, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, changes in water quality can have a significant impact on fish catch data, which also affects the economy and food security of a particular region. The study analyses the data of 31 lakes located in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas over the period between 1970 and 2014. The necessary information about the spatial and temporal changes of the fish stock of Lake Balaton were provided by Dr András Weiperth’s research, titled the Effect of water level fluctuations on fishery and anglers’ catch data of economically utilised fish species of Lake Balaton between 1901 and 2011.

Lakes are important reserves of accessible freshwater, and they play a significant role in ecosystem services, such as irrigation, hydropower generation, and fishery. Despite their importance to humanity regarding food security and livelihoods (e.g. tourism), our knowledge about the effects of environmental changes and societal demands on lakes and fish catches is still limited, SZIE reported.

The study was coordinated by Michigan State University and founded by the United States Geological Survey. Twenty-eight research institutes from 19 countries, including the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of Szent István University, took part in the data collection.