the EU Environmental Council finally adopted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL)

Read EEB press release :

Brussels/Luxembourg, 17 June 2024

Today, after a nail-biting last discussion, the EU Environmental Council finally adopted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), marking the last step for this long-awaited proposal to become law. This outcome is a huge win for Europe’s nature, climate action, citizens and future. 

Member States followed through with their commitments and with a majority of 20 countries, representing 66.07% of the population, the law was officially endorsed, thanks to Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler stepping up at the last minute, changing the country’s previous stance and safeguarding the law.

The #RestoreNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, EEB and WWF EU, says: “Today’s vote is a massive victory for Europe’s nature and citizens who have been long calling for immediate action to tackle nature’s alarming decline. After years of intense campaigning and many ups and downs, we are jubilant that this law is now reality – this day will go down in history as a turning point for nature and society. Now, we need all hands on deck: Member States must properly implement this legislation without delay in their countries, in close collaboration with all involved stakeholders. At the end of the day, nature can rebounce, for the benefit of our climate, biodiversity and people!”

The law has faced one of the most tumultuous journeys in the history of EU legislation. After surviving an unprecedented and absurd disinformation campaign, aiming to destroy the NRL in the European Parliament, it faced the risk of being rejected at the very last step in the Environment Council. In the end, however, support for the law carried the day.

This is also a timely outcome to present at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) later this year, showing that Europe is willing to lead the way in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises by owning up to its global commitments. It is also a very clear message to the new EU Parliament and Commission, to not forget to keep biodiversity at the forefront of their agenda.

 

This result followed a massive public mobilisation. Over the past few years, over a million signatures and messages from citizens, repeated calls from 6000+ scientists, 100+ businesses, youth organisations, and civil society from across numerous sectors have been made to defend the law and the integrity of the EU Green Deal. As the #RestoreNature coalition, we want to thank anyone who contributed to this result and made it happen.

 

World Migratory Fish Day: Watch and share our videos

To mark World Migratory Fish Day on Saturday 25 May, ERN-SOS Loire Vivante is launching three videos about Atlantic salmon and ecological continuity.

These videos are previews of remixed extracts from the documentary entitled “Pour une fois qu’il faut laisser couler”, which will be released shortly.

The 2-minute portrait and landscape modules presented here, in French and English, plunge you into the life of the Atlantic salmon in the Allier and Sélune rivers and present 2 major innovative and far-reaching actions that France has taken to restore access to the upstream areas of rivers and streams, the historic breeding grounds of the Atlantic salmon.

Discover these videos :

The New Poutès, the dam that opens for wild salmon 
watch the French version / watch the English version

Allier River : An obstacle course for salmon
watch the French version / watch the English version

France: The largest dam removal project in the world, 2017-2022
watch the French version / watch the English version

 

All the videos can also be viewed on our new YouTube channel: “Rivières Vivantes – Laisser Couler”: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjokCmOpXMcgD4ag3UY3ctg

Note :

  • France is the European leader in the restoration of ecological continuity, particularly through the removal of small and large transverse structures. Since 1997, it has built up recognised expertise through innovative policies and major international projects. At a time when the decline in populations of migratory fish and fish at the head of river basins, such as trout, is alarming, we need to pursue innovative actions that provide the most effective response to the challenges of biodiversity.
  • To publicise France’s experience, you will soon be able to watch the full documentary produced by ERN – SOS Loire Vivante as part of the OFB’s Mobbiodiv call for projects. The 3-part film, told from the point of view of our association, traces the history of the major events and projects that have marked the restoration of free movement of rivers in France from 1997 to the present day.
    “For once it’s time to let things flow
    part 1/3: Reopening river routes to large migratory species
    part 2/3: Reconnecting small and medium-sized rivers
    part 3/3: Rethinking and reconfiguring major blocking structures

A new report from WWF France warns of the decline in biodiversity in French rivers

Every two years, the WWF publishes a report measuring the state of biodiversity. In 2024, we are presented with the state of France’s rivers.

The report states that “Despite spending an estimated €500 billion on water policies over the past 20 years, freshwater bird and fish populations are stagnating at a worrying rate, and only 43.1% of rivers and water bodies in France are in good ecological condition”. It also highlights “a slight decline in bird and fish populations observed in rivers (-0.4% in 20 years), with emblematic species such as the river trout and the great crested grebe particularly threatened. This virtual stagnation masks an overall deterioration in the quality of small rivers in rural areas, offset by an improvement in the water quality of rivers downstream of large towns”. River trout populations, which depend on upstream areas of rivers, are a good illustration of this phenomenon, with a 44% drop in populations in 20 years, as a result of serious deterioration in many rivers at the head of the basin.

With 3 years to go before the deadline set by the WFD, we need to think again and give a major boost to improving the resilience of the water cycle (preserving wetlands, overhauling the agricultural system).

Read Roberto Epple interview in the newspaper “Liberation”

Read report (french)

WWF web page

 

81% average decline in migratory fish populations since 1970

The new Living Planet Index (LPI) report on migratory freshwater fish published today by the World Fish Migration Foundation (WFMF), ZSL, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wetlands International and WWF has highlighted an 81% decline in the size of monitored populations on average between 1970 and 2020, including catastrophic declines of 91% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 75% in Europe.

Populations of migratory freshwater fish species continue to decline across the globe, risking the food security and livelihoods of millions of people, the survival of countless other species, and the health and resilience of rivers, lakes and wetlands. Habitat loss and degradation – including fragmentation of rivers by dams and other barriers and conversion of wetlands for agriculture – account for half of the threats to migratory fishes, followed by over-exploitation. Increasing pollution and the worsening impacts of climate change are also fuelling the fall in freshwater migratory fish species, which have now been declining consistently for 30 years.

The index reports on population trends of 284 monitored freshwater f ish species, representing 1,864 populations (Figure 1). Globally, the index shows a decline of -81% between 1970 and 2020, or an annual decline of 3.3%. This downward trend has been consistent over the last 3 decades. In terms of global species trends, 65% of species have declined on average, while 31% have increased.

In a press release Herman Wanningen, founder of the World Fish Migration Foundation said Herman Wanningen, fondateur de la World Fish Migration Foundation a déclaré “The catastrophic decline in migratory fish populations is a deafening wake-up call for the world. We must act now to save these keystone species and their rivers. Migratory fish are central to the cultures of many Indigenous Peoples, nourish millions of people across the globe, and sustain a vast web of species and ecosystems. We cannot continue to let them slip silently away.”

The report is not all doom and gloom. Nearly one third of monitored species have increased, suggesting that conservation efforts and improved management can have positive impacts. Some promising strategies include the improved and/or species-focused management of fisheries, habitat restoration, dam removals, the creation of conservation sanctuaries, and legal protection.

For example, in Europe and the United States, thousands of dams, levees, weirs and other river barriers have been removed in recent decades, and momentum for such actions is growing*. Dam removals can be cost-effective, job-producing solutions that help reverse the disturbing trend of biodiversity loss in freshwater systems as well as solutions that improve river health and resilience for people, too.

While scaling up dam removals is a key solution to reversing the collapse in freshwater migratory fish populations, there are more. Decision makers across the globe must urgently accelerate efforts to protect and restore free-flowing rivers through basin-wide planning, investing in sustainable renewable alternatives to the thousands of new hydropower dams that are planned across the world as well as other measures that contribute to the ambitious goals in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect 30% of inland waters and restore 30% of degraded inland waters. Rising to the Freshwater Challenge’s goal of restoring 300,000 km of degraded rivers will contribute enormously to reversing the trend in migratory fish populations.

Along with protecting and restoring healthy rivers, there is an urgent need to strengthen monitoring efforts; better understand fish species’ life-history, movement and behaviour; expand international cooperation, such as adding more freshwater migratory fish species to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS); and promote greater public and political engagement.

There are many initiatives around the world supporting the recovery of migratory fish species and freshwater biodiversity in general. The Emergency Recovery Plan for Freshwater Biodiversity highlights a variety of measures that could transform the management and health of rivers, lakes and wetlands to improve the health of freshwater systems and biodiversity.

Read the executive summary

Read the study 

*In 2023, Europe removed a record 487 barriers – a whopping 50% increase over the previous high reported in 2022. Meanwhile, in the United States, the largest dam removals in history are currently underway along the Klamath River in California and Oregon.

Read press release (en anglais) 

Save the date: Tuesday 4 June from 4pm to 6pm Webinar Sélune – how do the river and the valley get back into flow?

In the series of Tuesday webinars organised by ERN- SOS Loire Vivante, book your Tuesday 4 June trip to the Sélune.

ERN France in partnership with the OFB is organising a webinar on the Sélune on Tuesday 4 June from 4pm to 6pm.

We will be welcoming 3 researchers. They will present the latest results of their work. Focusing on the post-effacement phase, we will try to understand how the river and the valley are resuming their course. The presentations will be followed by an hour of discussion.

Programme:

Alain Crave: Restoration of sedimentary, hydric and chemical continuity and changes in water quality
François Martignac: Recolonisation of the Sélune valley by migratory fish
Marie-Anne Germaine: What project for the region after the dismantling of the Sélune dams? A social approach to ecological restoration

 

If you are interested, register to take part in the webinar (in french) : https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ytrz6dxMQUCAhysM6DCCVw

All replays of our webinars (french only) :  Webinaires – European Rivers Network (ern.org)

The Dam Removal Award 2023 returns to Portugal

The Free Flow conference organised by the World Fish Migration Foundation in Groningen has just come to an end. The 2024 winner of the Dam Removal Award was announced. 3 projects were finalists and the jury and public vote, taken in equal parts, awarded the prize to GEOTA in Portugal for the removal of the Vaqueiros dam on the Alviela river. Congratulations to them, they have won a cheque for €15,000. Congratulations also go to the other nominees, including the Fédération de pêche 64 for the removal of the Urrutienea dam on the Nivelle (5m high), where the results were immediate, with salmon re-colonising the upper reaches of the river. This is already a great victory.

More info on french case : https://www.ern.org/fr/urrutienea-finaliste-du-prix-europeen-pour-la-suppression-des-barrages-2023-les-votes-sont-ouverts/

Find out more about the winning project :https://damremoval.eu/dam-removal-award-2023-winner/

© DRE

Logo Openrivers

Open Rivers Programme selects a new project submitted by ERN

Following the successful removal of 4 weirs on the Tardoire in 2023, ERN will have the pleasure of supporting, as part of the Open Rivers programme, the removal of the Pont de Rhodes weir being carried out by the Syndicat Mixte de la Dordogne Moyenne et de la Cère Aval, on the Ressegue, a sub-tributary of the Cère (BV Dordogne). The water pearl mussel, which is on the IUCN red list, is present in this basin. The restoration work will reconnect 12.3 km, i.e. 96% of the length of the Ressegue, and 23 km of watercourses throughout the catchment area.

The work will be 100% funded by the Open Rivers programme, for which ERN and the SMDMCA applied in 2023. The study phase was also financed by the Open Rivers programme with the ERN/SMDMCA partnership.

The next call for applications is set for 29th October 2024 (grant categories A: Programme-supported dam removals and B: Enabling others to remove dams).

More infos : https://www.ern.org/fr/openrivers/

 

 

 

Dam removal report is out : Record year for dam removals in Europe as report warns of safety risks of ageing barriers

487 dams and weirs to be removed in 15 European countries by 2023

Dam Removal Europe published its report on progress in removing river barriers in Europe in 2023 on 15 April. 487 barriers were removed in 15 European countries in 2023, an increase of 50% on last year’s figure. These initiatives have enabled more than 4,300 kilometres of river to be reconnected. France is back at the top of the league table, with more than 150 listed structures to be removed by 2023.

Even though the number of obstacles has reached a record high again this year, this is also due to improved reporting to the DRE. In addition to the growing number of structures and countries freeing up their waterways, the report also highlights the safety risks posed by ageing structures, reporting 129 deaths in recent years.

France has been removing obstacles from its rivers for many years, and we welcome the fact that the idea of freeing up rivers is gaining ground in other European countries. France’s river restoration policy is an example elsewhere in Europe and remains inspiring. But in other countries too, a policy to restore free rivers is taking shape. In Estonia, for example, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling on 15 January 2024, setting a precedent for the removal of dams in the country. The judge designated the Ministry of the Environment as the competent authority to reconcile heritage and environmental interests.

 

A few years earlier, the NGO Jägala Kalateed had embarked on a project to restore the river Jägala as a Natura 2000 area, with a strong focus on salmon. But the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of the Environment had been unable to agree on how to deal with the issue of ageing dams. On the one hand, dams are part of our cultural heritage and, on the other, they pose a threat to rivers. After more than two years of petitions and legal proceedings, the Supreme Court has announced its final decision: where cultural and environmental interests conflict, supreme authority lies with environmental rules (including the derogation clause in the Habitats Directive). Thanks to this decision, on 8 April 2024, the Estonian Environmental Office decided to officially cancel the permit to use water from the Linnamäe hydroelectric power station, Estonia’s largest hydroelectric dam, for the benefit of salmonids. This announcement will open the door to the largest dam removal in Estonia.

* Map of European countries reporting dam removals in 2023. The colour gradient corresponds to the number of removals per country.

Read DRE press release

DRE report : https://ern-sosloirevivante.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Web-version_DRE-Report-2023.pdf

Find out more about the case of Estonia : https://damremoval.eu/supreme-court-estonia/

Coming soon: Advocacy videos for ecological continuity

With the support of the OFB as part of the Mobbiodiv call for projects, ERN will shortly be publishing a documentary on the restoration of ecological continuity in France from 1997 to the present day. Entitled “Pour une fois qu’il faut laisser couler”, the 3-part film traces the history of the major events and projects that have marked the restoration of the free movement of rivers in France. It is told from the point of view of our association. English version will aslo be available

Short modules will soon be available on the web.

part 1/3: Reopening river routes to large migratory species
part 2/3: Reconnecting small and medium-sized rivers
part 3/3: Rethinking and reconfiguring major blocking structures

At the end of 2023, the Water and Biodiversity Ministry published a video on ecological continuity, answering questions on the subject and deconstructing preconceived ideas.

Watch the video (in french) Le Vrai / Faux de la continuité écologique des cours d’eau

Screening & discussion of the film “La Rivière” at Ciné Dyke

ERN-SOS Loire Vivante is organising, with Ciné-Dyke in Le Puy en Velay, a screening of the film “La Rivière” on Friday 29 March 2024 at 6pm, tickets at cinema rate.

In this documentary of great aesthetic and human interest, winner of the Prix Jean Vigo 2023, Dominique Marchais films the rivers of the Pyrenees, from the Gaves to the Adour. Along the way, he meets the men and women who live along the river: environmentalists, fishermen, naturalists, scientists, river maintenance workers, etc. Through the experiences of these men and women concerned with “the river” (a term that has become generic for the Gaves), the film shows their strong bond with the place where they live, a watershed. It also shows the evolution of this ecological environment, which is under serious threat from human activity. It warns of the ecological crisis, but is not without hope: men and women are trying in their own way to preserve, warn and fight so that the river continues to be an incredible source of life.

The director follows “a gentle path” to describe the transformation of landscapes and nature, the upheaval of the river’s water cycle and biodiversity, and to highlight those who are working to protect it.

This film is more than a documentary, it’s a celebration of beauty and life. But at the same time, it is an alarming reminder of the many and varied ways in which nature is being attacked. And in a universal way, through Béarn and the Basque country, we can imagine other rivers, including the Loire and its salmon…

Following the screening, the public will be able to react to the curious and loving way in which the director looks at the river, during a discussion in which the presidents of the Loire Amont SAGE (Schéma d’Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux) and the Fédération Départementale de Pêche de la Haute Loire will take part, alongside ERN-SOS Loire Vivante.