New LIFE publication on freshwater fish conservation

European Union's LIFE programme has issued a new publication dedicated to freshwater fish protection in European Union member states.

The voluminous 64-page brochure summarizes experience from LIFE projects on freshwater fish species conservation and improving their habitats, describes situation the main freshwater fish species are in, as well as lists the threats they are facing. The publication also contains LIFE programme actions for improving freshwater fish species conservation and attaining the 2020 Biodiversity Strategy goals.

136 LIFE projects on freshwater fish species conservation have been implemented in EU member states from 1992 to 2013, with goals to protect more than 50 threatened species included in the EU Habitats Directive or the IUCN Red List and to improve the habitats of these species. More than a hundred other projects, vital for freshwater fish populations, their life cycle and migration, have had a positive effect as well, for example, river and lake restoration projects.

The brochure includes LIFE project best experiences in this field in the European Union and allows to take a deeper look at freshwater fish conservation projects implemented in Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy and Spain. Alongside chapters telling about  LIFE project experiences of habitat and species restoration, protection of migrating fish species and raising public awareness, the publication also contains a number of conclusions useful for anyone involved in freshwater fish species conservation.

Read the "LIFE and freshwater fish" research here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublications/lifefocus/documents/fish.pdf

Information prepared within the project "Non-governmental sector participation in the international conference" EU Biodiversity strategy implementation "" financed by Latvian national budget-funded program "Support for public participation in the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union implementation" and administered by the Society Integration Foundation.