Protection of the graying: University of Koblenz starts EU project Protectfish

Protection of the graying: University of Koblenz starts EU project Protectfish

26.08.2024 - 15:22

University of Koblenz

The University of Koblenz recently gave the start for a pioneering project for researching endangered fish species. As part of the ProtectFISH research initiative, which is newly launched, which is supported by the European Union with a financing of four million euros, the focus is on the interactions between the large cormorant and the stocks of protected fresh water fish.

On August 22nd and 23rd, 2024, the first meeting of the scientists, partners and the project advisory board took place at the University of Koblenz to create the basics for joint research work. Not only the strategy was determined, but also the first problems and developed similarities.

international cooperation for fish protection

The project combines numerous institutions from different countries, including Danmarks Tekniske Universitet from Denmark as coordinator and partner universities from Denmark, Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Italy and Poland. The exchange at the international level could be crucial to collect and evaluate comprehensive data.

A central goal is to analyze the effects of the cormorant on the existence of the gravagons, a particularly endangered fish species that has declined sharply in recent decades. This decline is partially attributed to the fish -eaten birds, which could lead to tensions in species protection.

The first surveys of the gravity stocks are already planned for September and October 2024, whereby the field work in several participating institutions, including the University of Koblenz, will take place. The researchers hope that precisely methods for the inventory of the cormoric population and their food ecology are hoping to gain valuable knowledge.

dr. Carola Winkelmann, project manager at the University of Koblenz, was positive about the support of the EU: "The promotion of this international project enables us to carry out research work, the results of which hopefully incorporate directly into political decisions at EU and state level."

importance of research and human-animal conflicts

A particularly explosive topic is the increasing conflict between the protection of the cormorant, which was threatened with extinction in the 1970s and 1980s, and the protection of endangered fish species. The cormorant is now considered a protected bird species, while over 50 percent of fish species in Germany are on the red list. The concern that the predatory pressure through cormorants is a decisive factor for the decline in certain fish stocks leads to emotional debates on necessary regulations in species protection.

The results of the project are expected to be available in the coming year, while the final evaluations of the large -scale studies can only be presented towards the end of the project duration, which is scheduled from August 2024 to July 2028. Dr. Niels Jepsen, project manager at the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, emphasized the importance of working with stakeholders and volunteers to develop recommendations for fish protection.

This could not only promote the preservation of the stocks, but also beat a bridge between the different interest groups.

protective measures and political dimensions

The planned improvement of communication between interest groups, political decision -makers and water managers is particularly important for the future. This link could be crucial for how effectively the future protective measures are implemented and whether they can actually lead to an increase in the endangered fish species.

The data obtained will not only serve for research, but could also influence political decisions that ultimately have an impact on the entire ecological state of flowing waters. The involvement of the European Commission in the process symbolizes the importance of the interregional exchange in questions of nature conservation.

26.08.2024 - 15:22

University of Koblenz

University of Koblenz is involved in top -class partners in a new project for the protection of endangered fish species

The new research initiative Protectfish financed by the EU with four million euros will shed light on the role of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax Carbo) when the condition of protected freshwater fish species. The project in particular focuses on the populations of grayling. At the start of the project, the scientists involved and the members of the project advisory board met for the first time on August 22 and 23, 2024 at the University of Koblenz.

At the Kick-Off Meeting, the start of the joint research was planned, content questions were discussed, initial problems solved and ways to communicate the future results.

background to threatened fish species in Germany

In Germany, over 50 percent of fish species are now on the red list, which underlines the urgent need for protective measures. The decline in fish stocks is a complex problem that is influenced by various factors, including pollution, habitat loss and overfishing as well as the pirate pressure by Predatory Birds, especially the cormorant. A critical look at the cormorant shows that this bird species has experienced a significant increase in population since the 1980s, which has led to tensions in species protection. These conflicts are not only ecological, but also socially and politically relevant, since different interest groups often register contradictory claims.

particularly affected are sensitive species such as European grayling, which is very declining in many waters. The ecological implications of these declines are serious because they are part of complex aquatic food networks. Researchers emphasize that an integrative view of the ecosystems is necessary to ensure a sustainable fish stock and to minimize conflicts between nature conservation and fishing interests.

First results and future developments

The Protectfish project has set itself the goal of collecting comprehensive data on the effects of the cormorant on fish populations in order to generate well -founded decision aids for the management of fish stocks. Expected first results of the project should be available next year, but a detailed analysis of the long -term effects will only be possible towards the end of the project.

An important aspect is direct cooperation with affected groups, including fishermen, nature conservation organizations and political decision -makers. The project team plans to use the collected data about fish stocks and the food ecology of the cormorant in order to give evidence -based recommendations for cormoring management. These recommendations could be crucial for the strategy for the preservation of endangered fish species in Germany and the EU.

26.08.2024

University of Koblenz