The day will be celebrated in more than 50 countries with more than 250 events. World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) is held to create awareness on the importance of open rivers which enable fish migration and sufficient reproduction. At many places worldwide this migration is of crucial importance not only for wildlife but also for the people whose main source of living is fishing.
In Bulgaria we will talk about the progress of three of the WWF projects for conservation of emblematic fish species.
Sturgeons. Keep the Danubian wealth
Under this international project co-financed by the European programme Life+ WWF works directly with the stakeholders – fishermen, police authorities, institutions responsible for fishing control and monitoring of products from endangered species and the companies involved in growing sturgeons. The project is aimed at ensuring the growth of the sturgeon populations in the Danube River.
Free fishes
WWF Bulgaria collects and classifies scientific information about six endangered river fishes and one river mussel and their habitats in 30 river basins. WWF will free in the selected appropriate rivers at least 200 specimens of the species Bullhead (Cottus gobio), 5000 specimens of the species European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus), 800 specimens of the species Golden spined loach (Sabanejewia aurata), 1000 specimens of the species Kessler's gudgeon (Gobio kessleri), 200 specimens of Danube gudgeon (Gobio uranoscopus), 400 specimens of thick shelled river mussel (Unio crassus), as well as specimens of the species Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis).
Betterment of the condition and conservation of the sturgeons in Bulgaria
Within this project field studies for the sturgeon reproduction sites are carried out. Soon six starry sturgeons (Acipiens stellatus) have been caught in order to become parents of 50 000 small fish which we will free in the Danube later in summer. The project is funded by Operational Programme “Environment”.
Join us on the World Biodiversity Day and the World Fish Migration Day
