Hydroelectric power. How environmentally friendly is it?
This 4-hour workshop (PPT presentation, hands on lab, hydropower plant visit) highlights the importance of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in connection to the production of hydroelectric energy. Hydroelectric power, a renewable type of energy, has multiple advantages but also some disadvantages. Its production can intensify the greenhouse effect, climate change and biodiversity loss. In order not to compromise sustainability of water ecosystems, mitigation of impacts by taking measures as the use of fish friendly turbines, fish ladders in dams, modernization of mechanical infrastructure in hydroelectric units versus creation of new hydroelectric units and demolition of river barriers that are no longer in use, are needed. During the workshop the collapse of the eel population in the Aliakmon River, North Greece, will be discussed along with the role of dams in the fragmentation of the species migration route.
Hellenic Centre For Marine Research
World Fish Migration Day – Rafina Megalo Rema River 2024
On World Fish Migration Day, we set up two “Wild Aquarium” displays after sampling the river at Rafina. Four of us contributed as volunteers from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, many others helped to make this possible. We celebrated World Fish Migration Day!
We focused on the threatened river estuary of the Rafina Megalo Rema River- threatened by a mega flood-control project, located just 25 km east of Athens.
Informing the teachers associated with the Environmental Education Centers of the Greek Education System, we were happy to receive more than 50 visitors on-site. What we saw and caught:
European Eels Anguilla anguilla (Χελι): 25 individuals, of all ages, including very small ones about 12 cm – up to 60 cm.
Grey Mullet Chelon labrosus (Χειλάς): 20+ individuals.
Grey Mullet Mugil cephalus (Κέφαλος): 2 individuals captured.
Grey Mullet Liza sp./Chelon sp. (Κεφαλοπουλα): 500+
River Blenny Salariopsis fluviatilis (Ποταμοσαλιαρα): 1 individual (not captured, adult male, dark and large 12 cm TL).
MedINA
MedINA World Fish Migration Day Webinar
“The free rivers that unite us”
On 27 May 2024 MedINA organized a webinar to celebrate World Fish Migration Day, named “The free rivers that unite us”. The webinar was moderated by Fanoikos Sakellarakis, MedINA Biodiversity and Ecosystems Expert and hosted four presentations. During the first presentation, we followed the fascinating journey of eels from the Sargasso Sea to European rivers narrated by Louis Vardakas, an inland fish ecology expert and then we found out about the Dam Removal movement in Europe by Dr Foivos Mouchlianitis, biologist-ichthyologist and associate of the WFMF. Next, we explored the situation in Greece on river barriers and river connectivity by MedINA associate Eirini Lyratzaki, project manager of the Dam Removal project in Greece and finally we discovered one of Europe’s last free rivers, the Aoos/Vjosa River, which connects Greece and Albania and learnt about the importance of keeping our rivers free of obstacles for both fish and people. The webinar was attended by 25 people that participated actively in the discussion that followed the presentations. The webinar was recorded and will be uploaded shortly on MedINA’s YouTube channel.
