4 minute read
Balkan Rivers: A Fish Hotspot at Risk
BALKAN RIVERS:
A Fish Hotspot at Risk
Imagine a place where wild rivers still run free. In the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, this image is a startling reality. These countries are home to many of the most intact and beautiful rivers in continental Europe, providing sanctuary to a vast number of wild animals and plants, many of them endangered. The intactness of Balkan Rivers stands in stark contrast to most other parts of Europe where rivers have been largely degraded over time. The vast majority of rivers in the EU do not have a good ecological status, which has led to a dramatic loss in freshwater biodiversity.
By RIVERWATCH, WWW.RIVERWATCH.EU // Photos by VLADIMIR TADIC, AMEL EMRIC, ANTON VORAUER, PEDRAG ILIC and RIVERWATCH
Protecting the best of what is left of European rivers is critical to conserving European freshwater biodiversity in the future. This is particularly true for fish species: The rivers in the Balkans provide a sanctuary to 28% of Europe’s endangered fish. 69 species of fish can only be found here and nowhere else on the planet, making it one of the highest concentrations of endemic fish species in Europe.
Fish species at peril
Fish species are at risk in the Balkan haven for aquatic life. Rivers face imminent damming on an extensive scale, with approximately 3300 hydropower projects slated for development between Slovenia and Greece. This alarming surge in dam construction compounds the challenges posed by nearly 2000 existing dams. These dam(n) plans imperil the remaining hotspots of Europe’s freshwater biodiversity. If these proposed dams come to fruition, 49 fish species could teeter on the brink of extinction, representing a staggering 10% of all recognized freshwater fish species in Europe. This casts a shadow over the notion of hydropower as a “green” energy source.
Hydropower plants, whether large or small, constitute the foremost impediment to fish migration and result in significant habitat loss. Fish passages, in practice, seldom prove effective. Frequently, particularly in the case of small diversion dam projects, the residual flow below the dam diminishes to such an extent that it becomes impassable for fish. In some instances, the fish ladder doesn’t even extend into the water, rendering it utterly useless.
For the past decade, Riverwatch and EuroNatur, within the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign, have tenaciously battled to safeguard these last bastions of unspoiled rivers. Their alliance with local NGOs, legal experts, scientists, artists, and various stakeholders has yielded substantial successes.
Hundreds of dam projects, primarily through legal actions, have been thwarted or delayed, preserving numerous rivers and stretches from destruction.
Notably, in the summer of 2022, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina enacted a law prohibiting future concessions for small hydropower plants, demonstrating progress.
In March 2023, the Vjosa River in Albania will achieve the distinction of becoming Europe’s first Wild River National Park. This resolute commitment to safeguarding our remaining river treasures, as evidenced, yields positive outcomes.
So, what can you do to help save Balkan rivers?
Collect biodiversity data! As fly fishers, you have valuable knowledge about fish occurrences. We want to tab into that knowledge! iNaturalist is a community-based tool which allows non-scientists to add observations and help identify species.
It’s as simple as uploading a photo of an animal, plant or fungus, and a global community will help you identify it! By doing so, you hugely help ‘real’ scientists with valuable data collection, which our lawyers in turn use for challenging dam projects in court.
Want to try out iNaturalist yourself? Simply start by downloading the app. Need a bit more help? Then check this list of this list of tutorials:
www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials
Spread the message!
Hydropower is still often sold to us as green source of energy, despite its known devastating impacts on already fragile river networks. Raise attention for rivers and against dams in your networks. Tell people about the beauty of Balkan Rivers as well as the threats they are facing. Follow us via Newsletter, Facebook or Instagram:
