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) 

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

The removal of the Urrutienea dam in France, finalist in the European prize for the removal of dams 2023, votes are open

The removal of the Urrutienea dam on the River Nivelle in France has been selected to compete for the European prize for the removal of dams.

3 projects have been shortlisted: “Removal of the Urrutienea dam on the River Nivelle in France”, “Removal of the Garlogie dam in Scotland” and “Removal of the Vaqueiros weir in Portugal”. You can now vote for your favourite. Voting is open until 22 March at 11:59. Vote now! Dam Removal Award Nominees 2023 – Dam Removal Europe 

Focus on the project on the Nivelle, the other projects can be found on the DRE website.

At the heart of a cross-border landscape between Spain and France, the Nivelle is a river rich in biodiversity and is a major centre of interest for this tourist region in summer. The 5-metre-high dam had been out of action for 10 years! An impassable barrier for migratory fish, in particular salmon, eels and other emblematic species (freshwater pearl mussels, Pyrenean Desman, European otters, white-clawed crayfish and others). The fishing federation, which initiated the project, bought the site in order to dismantle it completely. On the Spanish side, their partners had already worked on removing the obstacles, and they knew that this dam was the last completely impassable dam on the Nivelle.

Their main obstacle was to convince the local authorities that economic development (hydroelectricity) could not be achieved at the expense of local biodiversity. All in all, it took 20 years to break the deadlock!

Just two months after completion of the work, the results are extraordinary. The first Atlantic salmon spawning grounds located 6 km upstream of the dam were observed in Spain – for the first time in several centuries!

The work carried out in parallel since 2020 to conserve and restore the freshwater pearl mussel on the Nivelle has also been decisive. This species, the only one genetically unique in the Pyrenees, lives in symbiosis with salmon. These actions include reproduction to boost the natural population, which was threatened with extinction within the next 10 years. Removing the dam was therefore essential to restoring the habitat and reclaiming the whole of the upstream catchment.

Numerous partners were involved in the project: scientific research bodies (INRAE), associations (AAPPMA Nivelle, CEN Nouvelle Aquitaine, MIGRADOUR), the Government of Navarre, the vocational college (which houses the facilities for the ex-situ pearl mussel rearing project), and foundations (Fondation française des pêcheurs, Fondation Arcadia – Open Rivers Programme).

 

The Dam Removal Award is organised by Dam Removal Europe, the World Fish Migration Foundation, the European Investment Bank, and The Nature Conservancy, supported by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, Forest Peace Foundation and ABN AMRO Bank. The most inspiring project will be awarded a special trophy and 15.000 Euros towards the team’s next removal project, and the winner will be revealed during the upcoming Free Flow Conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. 

 

 

 

Protest on the Albanian Shushica River: Vjosa National Park in danger

++ An entire valley stands up against the diversion of its water: On Saturday, 24 February, the mayors from the Shushica Valley gathered to protest the nature-destroying plans for the Shushica ++ Albanian government wants to divert the water from the Vjosa tributary ++ Vjosa National Park in danger after just one year ++

Press release from EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch

Radolfzell, Vienna, Tirana, Kuç. 12 mayors and numerous other residents of the Shushica Valley and other regions of the Vjosa National Park, activists, lawyers and scientists gathered this morning in the village of Kuç on the banks of the Shushica River. They are protesting the plans of the government in Tirana to take the water from the Shushica and channel it to the Mediterranean coast 17 kilometres away in Himara to promote mass tourism there.

Officially declared in March 2023, the Vjosa Wild River National Park encompasses the Vjosa and its key tributaries, including the Shushica. However, less than a year later, the Shushica faces potential removal from protected status, leading to the “amputation” of the Vjosa National Park. The proposed withdrawal of 140 litres of water per second from the Shushica would completely dry up the upper river reaches during summer. This poses a significant threat to biodiversity and has severe repercussions for the local population in around 30 affected villages. The intervention may lead to the exclusion of the Shushica from the national park, as such measures are prohibited in this protection category, depriving the local community of the benefits of ecotourism.

Elidon Kamaj – Mayor of Brataj says : “We had high hopes for the national park as we anticipated it would boost economic development. Given our region’s challenges with emigration, establishing the national park held the promise of transformative change for us. However, if our water is now taken away and Shushica loses its national park status, our economic future will be at stake.”

The German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) are financing the project, and the Austrian company STRABAG is carrying out the construction work. The ministries’ approvals and the financing were based on a completely flawed environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). The consequences of the project for the Shushica were not analysed, and the people living along the Shushica were not informed. National and international scientists who reviewed these analyses concluded “…the results are misleading and incorrect.” (see attachement).

“We won’t stand by as our water is stolen from us. This project was never communicated to us; its existence only came to light when the construction equipment showed up. We won’t tolerate our water being taken away, and we are prepared to take action to halt the construction.” More than 50 residents filed a lawsuit against this project together with the Albanian nature conservation organisation EcoAlbania. The first court hearing is still pending, declares Astrit Balilaj – Mayor of Kuçi.

“The risk lies in the potential for the water diversion on the Shushica to set a precedent. The actions unfolding today on the Shushica might repeat tomorrow in other sections of the national park. The credibility of the entire Wild River National Park is at stake,” says Olsi Nika, Executive Director of EcoAlbania.

“The Wild River National Park is based on a largely natural, undisturbed water balance in its network of veins. This is what makes this area so unique, which is why people from all over Europe come here. This diversion project, therefore, jeopardises the entire national park. Germany and the WBIF must withdraw from the project if Albania does not stop the construction work immediately and order a real EIA,” says Ulrich Eichelmann, Executive Director of Riverwatch.

“The Albanian government has probably assumed that we will turn a blind eye to one or two nature-destroying projects in return for the designation of the Vjosa National Park, but we will not compromise. We will not give up until the Vjosa and its tributaries are truly safe!” says Annette Spangenberg, Head of Nature Conservation at EuroNatur.

The joint demands of the local residents, mayors, scientists and activists can be summarised as follows:

  1. Halt construction immediately.
  2. Conduct a new environmental impact assessment.
  3. Identify and analyse alternative water resources for the coastal area around Himara as part of the EIA, with the help of national and international experts.

Background information:

– Joint press release by EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch,

– In March 2023, the Vjosa National Park was established in Albania, Europe’s first wild river conservation area, which encompasses a total of 404 kilometres of the Vjosa river network with its tributaries Shushica, Drino and Bënça. After less than a year, the national park is now in danger; construction work is already well advanced and is due to be completed in August this year.

– The nature-destroying project has so far also been financed with German taxpayers’ money, namely with funds from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

– EIA & position paper available on demand

– The “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign aims to protect rivers with particularly high natural value on the Balkan Peninsula, which are threatened by more than 3,400 hydropower projects and other nature-destroying plans. The campaign is coordinated by the international nature conservation organisations Riverwatch and EuroNatur and implemented together with partner organisations in the Balkan countries. The local partner in Albania is EcoAlbania. Further information can be found at https://balkanrivers.net

– The campaign is supported by the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung, among others.

Logo Openrivers

Open Rivers Programme call open and helpdesk support

the Open Rivers Programme call will be opening shortly, on 21 February.

 

The call will be for barrier identification projects, preparation and demolition. Just a reminder that ORP have also extended the opportunity for public entities to apply. There are however restrictions to consider, including 50% co-funding.

 

A DRE helpdesk is in place to support organisations from South Eastern Europe with their applications, an initiative coordinated by WWF, WFMF and ERN, through funding from Open Rivers Programme project “Scaling Up Dam Removal in South Eastern Europe”.

 

If you are thinking about developing a dam removal project, please join us in a series of meetings where we will explain more about Open Rivers Programme, help review your proposal and where you can gain valuable insights from ORP grantees.

 

Important information for those of you who are planning to submit an ORP

  1. Magda Jentgena from WWF Latvia will be presenting about her project on 22 Feb 11:00 CET. Please join us, to celebrate Magda’s work and to hear more about the Dam removal work in Latvia!
  2. There are a series of meetings to explain more about ORP funding and discuss the Expression of Interest and how we can help you in the process (introduction, review process & Q&A) hosted by the DRE Helpdesk. Please choose one of these dates to participate (28 Feb, 7 March, 14 March).
  3. If you would like to make use of the Helpdesk review process. The internal deadline is 14 March (this takes into account easter holidays).
  4. ORP will host a Q&A on 12 March at 16:00-17:00. This is coordinated by ORP. As soon as we have information regarding registration, we will let you know.

Read the helpdesk flyer to find out more about what we can do for you.

Let corinne.ronot@rivernet.org  know if you are taking part in one of these meetings, so that we can send you the links.

Historic milestone for rivers: Emptying of the Iron Gate dam on the Klamath River to prepare its removal

The largest dam removal and river restoration project in the history of the United States is taking a major step toward the removal of all hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon. The drawdown (draining) of Iron Gate Reservoir began early January so that Iron Gate Dam can be removed later this year. Two other dams, Copco #1 and JC Boyle, will likewise begin to drain in the coming weeks and be fully removed in the summer/fall timeframe. Copco #2, the smallest of the four dams slated for removal, was demolished in October 2023.

IRONGATE dam Klamath

For more than 100 years, these artificial barriers have blocked the migration of several species, like salmon and steelhead trout, impeding them from reaching over 400 miles of habitat. Not only the animals have been harmed. Water quality has been severely damaged, impacting the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribal communities whose livelihoods depend on a healthy river.

To turn the tide, this monumental project symbolizes a collective effort to repair a century of obstruction to fish migration, celebrate indigenous heritage, and ensure the long-term vitality of the Klamath River ecosystem. The project integrates the growing movement to remove more dams and free rivers across the USA, a trend that has also been scaling up in Europe in the past decade through the combined action of several organisations integrating the Dam Removal Europe coalition.

This article is an extract from the article published by Dam Removal Europe (read the complet article)

DRE launch today the dam removal progress report for 2022

The latest report uncovers a surprising figure of (at least) 325 barriers have been removed in 16 European countries – a new record! As in 2021, most of the removed barriers were weirs, as these structures have a high probability of being old and obsolete and can be removed in a cost-efficient way. But large dams such as the Roche-qui-boit dam in France (16m high) are also among the 2022 achievements.

Several factors have contributed to the new numbers such as newly available funding opportunities, like the Open Rivers Programme, the coordinated efforts of national and regional public authorities to report removed barriers, and the hype created by findings of last year’s report disseminated all around Europe.

Given the latest developments in European climate policy and the Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law, it is important to keep highlighting dam removal as a crucial tool to accomplish ecosystem restoration and celebrating success stories across Europe. Moreover, barrier removal also contributes to the global Freshwater Challenge to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers by 2030, a goal launched at the UN Water Conference held in New York in March. Besides pollution, habitat degradation, and over exploitation of natural resources, freshwater ecosystems face one major issue: dams.

It has been found that over 1,2 million barriers fragment European rivers, with many being obsolete. Among the several harmful consequences is biodiversity loss, with a decline of 93% in freshwater migratory fish populations in Europe and 76% on a global level. The alarming numbers ask for costeffective and efficient solutions to restore rivers. Dam removal has been paving its way in nature
restoration tools – a trend has been confirmed across Dam Removal Europe’s annual reports.

Read the press release

Read the report

Save the date : international colloquium “Des Saumons et des Hommes 3 ” 19-21 October 2023 – Brioude (France)

Ten years after the last meeting, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN is organising a new conference on the Loire salmon. This is an opportunity to take stock of the situation of the Atlantic salmon in the Loire and elsewhere. National and international experts will try to understand the reasons for the decline despite restoration efforts and whether our actions are still in line with current and future challenges.
Is it due to climate change or to phenomena at sea or in the river? During the health check and the presentation of the results of restoration actions, we will compare the case of the Loire with other highly migratory river basins such as the Rhine, the Elbe, the Adour, the Garonne, the Sélune, etc,
Are you interested in this event?

  Sign up to receive all the news in the coming months

German Fisheries Federation and 23 other German, French and Swiss organisations are calling for a reconsideration of net fishing before the Rhine estuary

On 19.11.2019, a delegation from the German Fisheries  – The Deutscher Angelfischerverband e.V,  submitted a petition to the Dutch Parliament in The Hague.

The petition calls for a rethink of commercial net fishing at the Haringvliet dam at the mouth of the Rhine. After their confluence, the Rhine, the Meuse and the Merwede de Nieuwe reach the North Sea via the Haringvliet. The Haringvliet Dam is the largest tidal barrier in Europe. The Haringvliet locks have been open in places since autumn 2018, improving the continuity of migratory fish.

With the opening of the Haringvliet part of a common master plan of the countries bordering the Rhine was carried out, so that the fish can migrate freely. In this context, however, it was certainly not anticipated that they would migrate directly into the nets or cages in front of the estuary.

Millions of euros have already been invested to restore ecological continuity across the Rhine. In Germany, France and Switzerland, there are many programmes for the reintroduction of migratory fish into the Rhine, such as salmon and sea trout.

In addition, passing through the estuary; fish need to get used to the transition from fresh water to salt water. A sensitive process that takes some time, because the body of the fish has to change to do so. Thus, net fishing at this hotspot hinders the protection of fish and thus the success of reintroduction projects.

Germany’s petition received a wide response from the press in Holland. For example, Dutch public television MPO1 reported extensively on the petition in the Evening News (NOS-Journal). The Dutch Parliament will consider the petition and next steps in Harlingvliet in the Fisheries Commission on 5 December 2019.

More infos

Rhine : Commission urges FRANCE to step up efforts to restore the ecological flow of the Rhine River

Photo : Copyright EDF

 

Commission urges FRANCE to step up efforts to restore the ecological flow of the Rhine River

The Commission is calling on Franceto comply with its obligations under EU law (the Water Framework Directive, Directive 2000/60/EC. The Commission urges the French authorities to improve the condition of the Rhine River on its territory to ensuring ecological continuity, namely allowing fish species to migrate beyond dams. Under the Directive, adopted in October 2000, Member States agreed to take measures to ensure that water bodies achieve good ecological status by 2015. EU countries have to comply with a number of conditions set out in the EU legislation, regarding biodiversity, pollution, and natural flow. The deadline may be extended under certain conditions, but the Commission is concerned that France has not provided sufficient justifications for postponing the date of compliance. In addition, the French authorities have not provided a timetable with a programme for meeting these EU norms. France now has two months to address the Commission’s concerns. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to send a reasoned opinion.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/EN/INF_19_4251

Remember : ERN supported by the international Salmon Comeback Coalition (NGOs)  filed an EU complaint against France end of 2018 . ERNs complaint is directed at France due to the infringement of the Water Frame Directive

> Visite the salmoncomeback Campaign Website