UNA: And the Threatened Balkan Rivers

The Una is home to trout, grayling and hucho hucho – the Danubian salmon, which is the biggest salmonid in all of Europe. It’s a truly unique river and fishery, but – unfortunately - it’s also very much like any other Balkan river in that it is facing severe threats.

BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF

The Balkan rivers are heart-breakingly beautiful: Set in rugged mountainous terrain with sloping treeclad banks, the heart-blood of the region, which comes in the shape of translucent turquoise water, gushes downstream over their meandering and rocky riverbeds - well-oxygenated and clean. In their turbulent waters, some of the most diverse biotopes and habitats in the whole world are found, and many unique endemic species of trout have found their niche here – including the marble trout, hucho hucho and prespa trout, just to name a few. They have evolved and reproduced over the course of millennia and they have survived the perils of human settlement, industrialization and even war. But with the growing need for energy and the current boom in projected dam constructions, the Balkan rivers and their unique trout populations are now in critical danger of perishing.

The River Una in Bosnia & Herzegovina is by many considered the pearl of the Balkan region. Its name means “The One” or the “Unique River”, and it is a very befitting name in deed. There really isn’t another river like the Una in the world. The biodiversity, the structures and the scenery is unlike anything anywhere else, and the fly fishing possibilities are just as unique. However, just like many other rivers in the Balkan region, the Una is also under threat. And it caught the attention of film-maker, Jonas Borinski, who then decided to make a film about the river and the perils it faces.

We’ve had a word with Jonas Borinski about his experiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina, why he decided to make a film in the first place, and what he learned during the course of the film-project.

How did you learn about the Una River?

“Bosnia? Isn’t that one of those war-stricken, ex-Yugoslavia states? Hmmm, don’t know much about it but doesn’t sound too tempting.” That is what I thought when Christof Menz contacted me in early 2016 with an idea about a fly fishing film in Bosnia.

While filming for another project (about the controversy of C&R in Germany) with him and Uwe Rieder, he told me about the splendid huchen fishing in the Una and the threat from dams in the area. huchen, or Danubian salmon, as some call it, is Europe’s biggest fresh-water Salmonid and it’s native only to the Danube system! I was all ears, although the danger of hydro dams didn’t sound too exciting at first, as pretty much all rivers in central Europe have them nowadays.

Why did you decide to make a film about the Una?

Making a film about it was actually Christof ’s Idea. Only after I looked into the issue more thoroughly and came across the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe”-campaign, I had to agree with Christof: This was something worth fighting for!

We had met for the first time in April and quickly decided to go to Bosnia in July that same year. He continued by telling me about his friend Anes Halkic, a local Bosnian, who had spent his last 12 years protecting the hucho and developing his guiding business on the Una. “Ani”, as everybody calls him, was well aware of the danger of hydro-dams and had been fighting against it with a rare passion. This was all I had to hear: Beautiful scenery, amazing fishery and a passionate character fighting for a good cause.

What is the purpose and intention with the film?

First of all, it was clear that not many people knew about the conditions and the general situation down there. Many people nowadays only know the Balkans through its history of war. But the fact is, it offers some of the best fishing and most beautiful scenery in all of Europe.

While researching the issue, we were quite impressed with how much the kayakers were doing, mainly by their “Balkan rivers tour”. To be honest, we were a bit embarrassed that it seemed like us fishermen were doing nothing.

With the film, we wanted to achieve several things: Firstly, we wanted to show what is at stake in general as well as from a fishing standpoint. Although we made sure to include science, it was important for us to make it clear what dams mean for the people whose lives depend on the Una and its healthy fishery. Last but not least, we wanted people to know that it is not too late and that there is still hope as long as the message is spread and people keep fighting.

What is so special about the Una River and its fish stocks?

Everything! When I went down there, I had no idea what to expect, let alone that this would be my biggest and most rewarding film project yet.

I have been to a number of destinations, in and out of Europe, but the Una is exactly what its name implies: Unique!

Coming from central Europe, we have a very distorted impression of how rivers should look. We are so used to straightened, boring, concrete-riddled waterways – but a trip to a river like the Una reminds one that a natural, free flowing river is something completely different.

By now, 38 fish species of fish have been discovered in the Una alone, which is a large variety and biodiversity compared to other rivers and places.

And according to Boris Davidov, a local scientist who helped us with the film, this is because the Una has a very unique structure, both perfect for the hucho and its prey. The sheer number of fish you can easily see in the Una, is nothing short of amazing. This area is widely considered the last paradise for the huchen in the world.

How would you describe the fishing in the Una River?

Fishing in the Una is just as diverse as its structure and flora and fauna. While fishing from the shore is certainly possible and frequently done by the locals, looking for hucho is best done from a boat - Either a rafting boat in Una’s upper, wilder parts, or a traditional stand up boat, which the locals have been using for centuries. As experienced hucho fishermen know, hucho are very difficult to convince, so a healthy concentration of fish, which the Una certainly offers, helps a lot.

Even though we focused on hucho fishing in the film, the Una and its tributaries are certainly wadable and offers amazing trout and grayling fishing, especially in Una’s upper parts - in the National Park Una.

What was it like to be in Bosnia & Herzogovina: to experience the country and the culture – and to meet with the local people along the river?

We had chosen the month of July to drive South, along with thousands of other tourists. The highway was packed! Only after we had crossed most of Croatia and passed the junction to the famous Adria, driving became more and more easy until we were pretty much the only ones crossing over to Bosnia, which in contrast to its neighbor Croatia does not belong to the EU.

Though only separated by a river, the difference between Croatia and Bosnia couldn’t be more apparent. Driving through various tiny villages and towns, I couldn’t help but feel like I was on another continent. Bosnia is riddled by tiny farm villages and countless ruins that still tell the story of the Yugoslavia war some 20 years ago. It seems like nobody has bothered or had the time or money to get rid of them. A strange feeling came over me as it hit me how little I knew about this area and its history. It takes only two hours from the Croatian capital Zagreb to Bosanska Krupa, the town we were heading to. We were welcomed by Anes and his family, who I would soon consider the nicest and most warm-hearted people I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. It didn’t take long to realize just how passionate Ani is regarding fishing and “his Una”. The Romans, he told me, came up with the name “Una” meaning “the one, the unique”, and with a glow in his eyes he added “and it is The One!”. I soon realized that it wasn’t just Ani and his family but that pretty much all locals were just as open and welcoming as him. It was amazing to see how little doubt or prejudice these people showed towards foreigners, especially considering their history.

Were there any specific experiences during the filming process that were particularly memorable or surprising?

Apart from breathtaking scenery, seeing the relationship between the River Una and the people living alongside it, was really unusual for me.

Rather than just a river, Una plays a big part in everybody’s life down there. When walking through “downtown” Bosanka Krupa, you see people enjoying the river in every way imaginable. From a single viewpoint, you can see people barbecuing, swimming, diving, fishing or rafting.

Another thing that I will never forget is filming jumping hucho. Scientists have also been able to document hucho schooling behaviour in the Una, something that was unheard of before. We were fortunate enough to get this behaviour as well as jumping hucho on camera. When you first see the underwater footage, you might think this was filmed in a hatchery but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The fish are 100% wild and the numbers are amazing.

A lot of Balkan rivers are facing severe threats. Can you tell us a little bit about what those threats are?

At the time of filming, we had evidence of more than 2700 hydro power projects being planned in the Balkans, over 70 of which were already under construction. Whereas central Europe doesn’t offer more opportunities for the hydro lobby, the Balkans are pretty much untouched. And with Europe’s last free flowing river systems zig-zagging the region, Western banks and investors are now flocking down there in order to make money.

The worst thing is that many of these projects are planned within protected areas, even National Parks. Whereas this wouldn’t be possible in many EU countries, laws are more easily bent in the Balkans, also due to corruption. The locals are usually treated in one of two ways. They either have absolutely no idea about the plans, or the industry tries to convince them with unrealistic promises of jobs and prosperity. According to Ulrich Eichelmann of Riverwatch, about 90% of the locals have no idea what is happening. This is exactly what needs to change.

Is there hope for the Una and Balkan rivers in general?

It would be very unrealistic to claim that we can stop all dam projects.

However, there is certainly hope! Personally, I am of the opinion that if only one single project is stopped, it is worth it and I think we can achieve much more than that. Considering the Una, lots of project have been planned and were then stopped by local and international people.

According to Anes Halkic, our main character in the film, this will probably never stop but people are prepared to keep fighting. One advantage that the Una has, is the National Park Una with its constantly growing number of tourists. People are beginning to understand that soft tourism can bring much more money into the region than a series of dams that only benefit the hydro lobby.

Any good tips for people, who would like to get involved in protecting the Balkan Rivers?

There are a few organisations and campaigns which are highly active in the area and their websites provide tons of information and ways to help:

www.Riverwatch.eu www.Balkanrivers.net

For fishing the Una, contact:

www.Unadiscovery.org

When and where can people watch your new film?

Most likely on Vimeo on demand. The film trailer can be found via the following link:

Flyfish Europe supports RiverWatch and BalkanRivers in their effort to prevent the building of dams and protect the unique strains of trout. To keep up to date, please join us on Facebook and don’t forget to follow:

facebook.com/riverwatchAUT/ facebook.com/freeriversfund/