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T. Sime-Ngando et al. (eds.), Lake Pavin, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-39961-4_21
History of the Fish Fauna of Lake Pavin:
A Population Heavily Influenced
by Man?François Desmolles
Abstract
Over the last 20 years, changes in agricultural practices on the surrounding plateaus have
driven rapid change in the trophic status of the lake, with knock-on effects on the evolution
of its fi sh population. The original fi sh stock, badly known, was strongly infl uenced by
numbers of different species introduction in the nineteenth century by Rico and Lecoq. The
introduction of Arctic Char ( Salvelinus alpinus ) was particularly successful and this species
became the iconic fi sh of the lake. In contrast to major scientifi c studies at Lake Pavin for
more than 100 years, fi sh populations have been the subject of very few studies, most of
which have focused on specifi c segments of the population. However, the fi sh population
and stock have been tracked under numerous programs targeted on the Arctic char popula-
tion, which holds strong economic and symbolic value. Since 2003, the lake and its ground-
water inputs have been regularly monitored for their physico-chemical and biological
indicators in implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. These surveys
show a strong and pervasive anthropic infl uences which should foster active lake conserva-
tion measures and more in-depth studies of fi sh populations in a lake with such a rich, and
at times mysterious piscicultural history?Keywords
Pavin Lake • History of fi sh fauna • Fish introduction • Arctic char • Fish management •
Eutrophication21.1 Lake Pavin Harbors an Original Fish
Fauna?
The search for the original fi sh fauna of the lake runs into many
contradictions. The fi rst written records tend to describe the lake
devoid of life. Eusébio and Reynouard ( 1925 ) cite Elie Jaloustre
( 1884 ) in his translation of The Godivel Manuscript (late 17th)
mentioning the lake, which on its fi sh fauna claims “...as for the
rest, no fi sh large or small has ever been seen or caught here,
not even the smallest tuft of grass grows at its extremities...”. In
his summary of the history of Auvergne by an Auvergnat
(Desbois 1826 ), the author, on the subject of Lake Pavin, says
“This lake was, we are told, the mouth of one of the most terrible
volcanoes of Auvergne, and sustains no fi sh like Lake Chambon,
one of the biggest in the country”. These claims were largely
linked to legends and beliefs that the lake was bottomless and
that a huge whirlpool triggered thunder and storms, rendering it
unable to support life. The abbot Delarbre ( 1795 ), director of the
Botanical Garden of Clermont, denounced these legends and
confi rmed having seen fi sh: “It has been advanced that the lake
contains no fi sh; but is this true? I would not guarantee it, but I
have seen fi sh break the surface of the water”. Chevalier,
Inspector of Bridges and Causeways, made one of the fi rst
sounding surveys of the lake in order to debunk the belief that it
was bottomless and explain the dull thuds heard on the lake,
which he attributed to the cracking of ice during heavy freezes.F. Desmolles (*)
Departmental Federation for Fisheries and the Protection of
Aquatic Environments , 14 Allée des Eaux et Forêts, Site de
Marmilhat , 63450 Lempdes , France
e-mail: [email protected]