The project Free Fish aims at improving the nature protection state of six protected species of fish and one species of clam. The project is implemented with the partnership of Rusenski Lom Nature Park in chosen sections of rivers from Natura 2000 areas in the basin of the Danube river in Northern Bulgaria.
Within the project, WWF Bulgaria collects data about the condition of endangered species and their habitats. This data encompasses all populations of the target species in at least 14 Natura 2000 areas with total area of over 45,000 square meters.
One of the main activities of the project is breeding of fish in select sections in two Natura 2000 areas with six species of fish, endangered on account of high catch, as well of worsening breeding conditions along the river. The species are miller’s thumb (Cottus gobio), European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus), Kessler’s gudgeon (Gobio kessleri), Danube gudgeon (Gobio uranoscopus), Southern Barbel (Barbus meridionalis), as well as one kind of invertebrate - thick shelled river mussel (Unio crassus).
Free Fish project starts with a thorough study of populations and assessment of existing barriers, which hinder the natural movement of the above species. The subject of the studies are the hindrances in the water basins in three Natura 2000 zones in the basin of the Danube river. Based on the results, WWF Bulgaria will prepare proposition for measures, which will allow fish to overcome river barriers, as well as a manual of requirements for construction of fish passages. A team of experts on fish from various scientific and nature protection organisations start the studies this spring and will continue till the autumn.
Another part of the project is restoration of at least 200m of Rusenski Lom river bed with a suitable stone bed substrate, which ensures needed habitat for the species Kessler’s gudgeon and Southern Barbel. Together with the directorate of Rusenski Lom Nature Park, the organization built a fish passage in Rusenski Lom river, which serves as a connecting section between a zone of at least 15 km down the stream with a section of 15 km up the stream from the fish passage. Two barrages on Rusenski Lom river in Natura 2000 zone Lomovete are planned to be removed, as well as a reduction of the fragmentation in the rivers in a zone at least 10 km up and 10 km down the river, which will be connected when each of the barrages is removed.
Donor of the project is Life + program, the financial instrument of Environment program of the European Union. Total cost of the project: 411 057 euro, including 205 528 euro co-financed by the EC and 190 179 euro from WWF.
WWF Bulgaria started work on Free Fish project
