Life Blue Belt Tender

Start Date 01092021End Date 31082029Total Budget 52207498 EU Contribution 8460000 PROJECT DESCRIPTIONBACKGROUNDBoth the Danube and Inn rivers in Austria comprise stretches with different characteristics. On the one hand there are wide valleys with large river-floodplain systems on the other hand some river sections are restrained to narrow valleys with steep slopes lacking floodplain habitats. The project addresses conservation issues in the Natura 2000 sites along both rivers. The main habitats depend on large floodplain-rivers. Herea large number of rare and protected semi-aquatic species especially fish live including small and fragmented populations of the sterlet Acipenser ruthenus and thick shelled river mussel Unio crassus in tributaries and backwaters. However these rivers contain heavily-modified sections. Thus key habitats are largely missing and hydroelectric power plants pose a barrier for the movement and migration of fish and other aquatic organisms.OBJECTIVESLIFE Blue Belt Danube-Inn aims to provide high-quality fluvial habitats for semi-aquatic species with a special focus on fish and to support ecological connectivity by linking several Natura 2000 sites along the Danube-Inn Corridor. The project forms part of a systemic large-scale approach to secure the ecological value of the sites in the long term and has been designed within a comprehensive management strategy for the River Danube and the River Inn. The main objective is to improve habitat conditions and habitat connectivity and thereby foster the conservation status for the endangered fish species including potamodromous medium-distance migrants sterlet Acipenser ruthenus asp Aspius aspius Danube salmon Hucho hucho and chub Rutilus meidingeri at local to regional scale. The large-scale approach will also foster metapopulation dynamics of fragmented populations of other fish species and thick shelled river mussel Unio crassus.Specifically the project aims to Create natural bypass rivers and side branches Provide large-scale connectivity to foster metapopulation dynamics Create high-quality habitats such as shallow banks gravel bars and oxbows along the River Inn and the River Danube Create natural unfortified river banks in the River Inn and the River Danube Implement fish passes to allow fish access to upstream section tributaries and large floodplain areas.The project will contribute to meeting the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive and its measures will also help achieve good ecological status as specified in the River Management Plans. It also contributes to the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.KEYWORDS freshwater ecosystem endangered species river management