In 2020, a total of thirteen European countries are known to have introduced and apply national legal regulations and/or recommendations (UK only) for fish protection at hydropower sites or for ensuring downstream continuity. Comparability was not considered in the context of this compilation. However, it can be assumed that the regulations of the countries differ in content. In nine European countries, even irrespective of whether national legal regulations are in place, it is decided on a case-by-case basis which measures are to be implemented at a hydropower site to protect fish. The number of countries that do not have specific legal requirements is significantly lower. Fish protection and downstream continuity are therefore an important issue at the European level.

This infographic provides an overview of the legal regulations for fish protection at hydropower sites in Europe. The infographic is part of a fact sheet on fish protection targets in Europe.

The infographic is published under a creative commons license CC BY 4.0. That means it can be copied and redistributed in any medium or format and for any purpose as long as appropriate credit to the authors (Ecologic Institute, Ingenieurbüro Floecksmühle, German Environment Agency) is given.