Europe’s freshwater fishes in the context of the Biodiversity Strategy targets 24-25 November 2022

Dear Members of the NADEG,

Dear Natura 2000 experts, national representatives, NGOs and Fish experts,

 

After the ’save the date‘ for the Fish event (below), we want to update you with further details about the event. We are about to finalise the program, which should be available by the 11^th of November. A brief outline of the sessions is provided below this message. Speakers will range from Member States reporting on their preparations for the pledge, various river and water management authorities, renowned scientists, and NGOs in the field of fish protection, fish management, recreational fishing, rivers and wetlands restoration. The program will soon be available on our website.

Also, a brief background document is being prepared to provide basic information and statistics on fish conservation and river restoration, as well as options for improving the conservation status of species from the Annexes of the Habitats Directive.

We aim as much as possible for a live event, with opportunities to attend the plenary sessions online, and possibly some of the parallel sessions. However, we do hope to see you at this event in Brussels, at the premises of the Committee of the Regions!

We invite you therefore to register for this event, so that we can send you the detailed information for access and the expanded program and documentation. Also, the registration will help us to prepare for the attendance for various sessions and preparation of break-out working groups.

You can register (for free) at this website until 20 November:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-freshwater-fishes-in-the-context-of-the-biodiversity-strategy-targets-tickets-456943950657

Please note that if you wish to attend the event in person, registration beforehand is necessary as there is no possibility to register on-site.

We look forward to meeting you soon in Brussels!

The organising committee, IRN

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Preliminary program Freshwater Fishes networking event:

Day 1: Thursday, 24 November 2022

09:00-12:30 Plenary seminar on Fish and Rivers in the EU Biodiversity Strategy (also online)

12:30-13:30 Lunch Break

13:30-16:00 Parallel breakout sessions

• Session A: Pledges for strict site protection in the context of freshwater ecosystems

• Session B: Improving management of fish populations;

16:00 – 16:30 Reporting back and plenary discussion

16:30-18:00 Networking reception

 

Day 2: Friday, 25 November 2022

09:00 – 11:30 Parallel breakout sessions

• Session C: Connectivity and for migratory fish and other species and habitats;

• Session D: The decline of the lesser known fish species; how can we improve their conditions?

11:30-12:30 Reporting back and plenary discussion

12:30 Closure

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Dear all

I would herewith like to inform you that the European Commission (Nature Conservation Unit; DG ENV) is organising, together with Living Rivers Europe¹ and in the frame of the EU Biogeographical Seminar Process, a networking event on Europe’s freshwater fishes in the context of the EU Biodiversity Strategy targets for protected areas and conservation status improvement of habitats and species. The networking event will take place in the premises of the Committee of the Regions (Brussels), on 24 and 25 November 2022. Its plenary session will be organised as a hybrid event (morning of first day), but in-person participation is required for the interactive breakout sessions (afternoon of first day and morning of second day).

The event will gather national and European freshwater fish experts, conservation NGOs, scientists and stakeholder groups, as well as national or regional representatives in charge of preparing the national pledges. It aims at highlighting opportunities for improving the protection and management of Europe’s freshwater fish species, including in terms of transnational cooperation, covering both the species listed in the annexes of the Habitats Directive, and IUCN Red listed species.

Further information, including link to a registration website, will follow in due course.

¹  „Living Rivers Europe“ is a coalition of NGOs founded in 2017, dedicated to conservation and restoration of Europe’s river ecosystems, that includes the European Anglers Alliance (EAA), the European Environment Bureau (EEB), the European Rivers Network (ERN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) the Wetlands International European Association (WI-EA) and the WWF European Policy Office (WWF EPO).

Yours sincerely

Frank VASSEN

 

European Commission

DG Environment, Unit B3 – Nature

BU5-06/186

B-1049 Brussels/Belgium

Tel. +32 2 296 87 85

Frank.Vassen@ec.europa.eu

 

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