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Final Conference of DTP MEASURES project organized

May 12, 2021in 2021 2 Likes

The online closing conference of the DTP-MEASURES project “Managing and Restoring aquatic EcologicAl corridors for migrating fiSh species in the danUbe RivEr” took place on 10-11 May 2021.

MEASURES aims to create ecological corridors by identifying key habitats and initiating protection measures along the Danube and its main tributaries. In this sense, sturgeons and other migratory fish species acted as flagship species in support of the goals of the project.

The project participants, consisting of twelve partners and twelve associated partners were representing nine countries all across Europe. The closing conference of the three-year project, which has started in 2018, was attended by about 60 participants from the partner, and the observer organizations and other professional organizations, NGOs.

The results of the MEASURES project are strongly contribute to the implementation of the   EUSDR “water quality” area and delivered important inputs to reach the following targets towards promoting measures to enable fish migration in the Danube river basin:

  • Raise broad public awareness for the Danube sturgeons as flagship species for the Danube River Basin and for the ecosystems and biodiversity of the Danube River Basin as a whole;
  • Foster sturgeon conservation activities including protection of habitats, restoration of fish migration routes and ex-situ conservation measures;
  • Close knowledge gaps concerning monitoring of pressures and planning of measures for fish migration. 

The project partners introduced the main results of the project, giving information on the developed habitat data collection process and about the Danube Migratory Fish Habitat Handbook. Representative of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River  (ICPDR), explained how the project’s results can contribute to the  updated Danube River Basin Management Plan – 2021 (DRBMP 2021). Mrs Edith Hoedl stressed that the project outcomes will give an input to specific chapters of the DRBMP 2021, such as on ecosystem connectivity and ecological corridors,  pressures and measures (interruption of river continuity for Fish Migration). The project results will also serve as a source for the chapter on sturgeon conservation.

In the frame of the conference a lively discussion was about the results of the ex-situ conservation possibilities (experimental restocking) as well as about the Strategy for ecological corridor conservation developed for the Danube catchment. It was stressed by the project management and also by the advisory board members that the strategy should be implemented at the national level first and the main measures included in the document should be further harmonized with the national plans.

More information about the project and its results available here: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/measures

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