📋 Tender Overview
Start Date: 01/10/2022
End Date: 30/09/2027
Total Eligible Budget: 10,858,334 €
EU Contribution: 6,514,995 €
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Ecological fragmentation of rivers, and therefore of habitats, is a key problem affecting rivers of the Bay of Biscay which flow through basins shared by 3 regions and 2 countries: Navarre and Gipuzkoa (Spain) and the Atlantic Pyrenees (Nouvelle Aquitaine, France). This fragmentation has negative effects on the conservation of some species in the area: species that are priority conservation targets in the management plans of 15 Natura 2000 sites in the Bay of Biscay. Various historical and geographical factors mean that rivers in this area have a large number of obstacles interrupting their continuity. These rivers also have short courses (in the order of tens of kilometres) so there is a high density of impassable obstacles, with more than 1 per kilometre of river. As a result, ecosystems and habitats are altered and the ranges of the most sensitive species (semi-aquatic mammals and fish) are reduced or fragmented. This, coupled with genetic isolation and other associated effects, jeopardises their conservation and ability to recover or cope with additional pressures, severely reducing their resilience.
