Increasing Passability of Ecological Corridors in the Parsęta River Basin     

Summary

In the past, many rivers in the Baltic Sea area have been regulated and modified by mills, dams, roads, pipes and other infrastructure. These can all obstruct natural ecosystem functions of the river and create obstacles for species living there, most notably fish that migrate to the rivers to spawn.

This project aimed to open up the Parsęta river system in Northwestern Poland and improve the conditions for migrating fish – specifically the Atlantic salmon, the river lamprey, the brook lamprey, the bullhead, and the loach. This was done by the removal or mitigation of migration obstacles in the Parsęta tributaries Radusza, Gęsia and Perznica. Mitigation took place by creating structures below the obstacles that raised the water level and submerged the obstacles, which then did not have to be removed completely.

Moreover, fishing guards that cooperate with law enforcement were employed to prevent poaching, watch out for hazards like illegal wastewater discharges, and ensure legal compliance by recreational anglers.

This project was carried out in parallel to the project “Salmon Parsęta”.