With the aim of achieving "good ecological status" in all water bodies by 2015, the Water Framework Directive requires Member States to put more emphasis on hydromorphological issues and watercourse connectivity for the conservation and restoration of fish populations. The aim for the third cycle of the "Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration" is to continue the series of workshops on fish protection and downstream migration and to evaluate them in papers, reports and publications. In addition, the website forum-fischschutz.de is updated and improved. Additionally in this project, the fourth UBA Hydromorphology Workshop is organised.

Continuation of the Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration

Fish protection and downstream migration are discussed intensively and controversially from a technical and environmental point of view between and within the different disciplines and responsibilities. The ecological effectiveness of existing measures is not always scientifically validated. In addition, the agreement of a broad range of stakeholders is important for the implementation of the solutions.

The 3rd cycle of the "Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration" continues and deepens the expert dialogue until 2022. Ecologic Institute, IGF Jena and Ingenieurbüro Floecksmühle prepare, conduct and evaluate the Forum's events. In addition, the Forum's website [German] and in particular the "Atlas Fischschutz und Fischabstieg" are supplemented. In the 3rd cycle, in addition to expert publications, reader-friendly fact sheets are developed.

Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration before 2019

In the 1st cycle of the German Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration (2012-2014) more than 200 people from industry, administration, science, hydraulic engineering, fisheries and hydropower utilization were involved. In seven workshops, the participants developed a common understanding of the requirements and solutions to be taken as a basis for the measures to establish watercourse connectivity for the conservation and restoration of fish populations. Core topics included, for example, the construction of technical facilities for fish protection and fish migration as well as monitoring their effectiveness or legal framework conditions. The most important results of the first cycle are a synthesis paper with the recommendations and results of the forum "Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration" and the "manual on the site specific evaluation of the efficiency of fish protection and bypass systems".

In the 2nd cycle of the German Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration (2015-2018) the dialogue with the expert public was continued and deepened in three events. The Forum's website [German] was developed into a knowledge management tool. For this purpose, the "Atlas Fischschutz und Fischabstieg" was developed, which contains a map with sites of measures for fish protection and fish migration. In addition, the Atlas provides information on research and development, as well as other activities and relevant institutions and events.

Continuation of the Workshop Series Hydromorphology

In addition to the Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Migration, Ecologic Institute is organising the fourth UBA Workshop of the series "Hydromorphology" in this project together with the Planungsbüro Zumbroich. Technical, administrative and legal problems hamper river restorations in Germany. For this reason, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), in cooperation with the LAWA Expert Group on Hydromorphology, has been conducting the workshop series "Hydromorphology" since 2008. At the beginning (2008), the focus was on the ecological effectiveness of river restoration. The second event (2012) dealt with experiences and findings gained in planning processes, practical implementation and monitoring of restorations. In the third workshop (2016), success factors and obstacles for restoration measures were formulated. In 2021 the workshop series "Hydromorphology" is continued and synergistically summarised.