On 25-26 October, Wetlands International Europe hosted an online workshop on improving the conservation status of migratory freshwater fish in Europe. This acted as the first meeting of the recently launched Trans-European Swimways Network.
The aim of the workshop was to contribute to the development of the first Trans-European Swimways Programme, which will act as a reference and action plan for work in Europe to conserve migratory freshwater fish. The first day was dedicated to reviewing a draft situational analysis, which included biological information on the species of concern, a problem analysis of the threats facing such species, and an assessment of ongoing conservation efforts – both legislative and on-the-ground actions. Through this group review, we were able to identify missing components in the draft document or areas that need more elaboration or editing.
The second day reflected on opportunities for conservation based on the findings from day one’s situational analysis. Key legislative opportunities discussed included the EU Water Framework Directive, EU Eel Regulation, and the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law. The workshop made use of the collaborative tool Mural to brainstorm network development, communications, capacity building, key swimways, as well as research and monitoring. It was determined that there should be a focus on river basins that are still lacking much-needed field actions, and creating synergies and support there. Another opportunity for swimways is its linkage to fisheries organisations which can help boost impacts.
Over the two days, 24 attendees representing 16 different organisations across Europe participated in the workshop discussions. These included the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Convention on Migratory Species, Sustainable Eel Group, Forth Rivers Trust, Deltares, and WWT.
The event contributed significantly to progressing the Trans-European Swimways Programme and its Framework for Action which will be published later this year. More information on the Programme and Network can be found here: https://europe.wetlands.org/home/our-approach/swimways/