walking excursion about migratory fish such as the sturgeon
Join ARK Rewilding Nederland on World Migratory Fish Day for a walk along the longest most flowing side channel in the Netherlands. Are you curious which migratory fish occur in the Netherlands and would you like to discover for yourself which fish use the side channel? Then sign up for this excursion!
Twelve species of migratory fish originally lived in the Dutch great rivers. From the small stickleback to the giants of the river: the sturgeon. During the spawning period, fish use the river and streams to migrate upstream or downstream. The sturgeon is one of the species that spends its adult life at sea, but uses the river to spawn. Unfortunately, this impressive fish became extinct in the Waal/Rhine River seventy years ago. Now several organizations are jointly investigating whether reintroduction is possible. By removing dams and opening the locks between river and sea more often, we are preparing our river nature for the return of the species.
Migratory fish do not respect national borders, therefore we are also working together with German organizations for a healthy Rhine in the program The Rhine connects.
The Netherlands has worked hard on its rivers in recent years. There were several reasons for this, such as water safety, water transport and nature restoration. With the construction of side channels, more water flows through the floodplains. Good news for migratory fish and other marine life. Trees have also been submerged in the new channels at several locations. The insertion of river wood creates different environments and gradients in the water. During our walk we will see how nature has responded to this.
At the end of the field trip for World Fish Migration Day, a “seine” will be pulled together with RAVON (organization for reptiles, amphibians and fish). This is a large net that drags across the bottom. The captured fish can be viewed in a cuvette. Then we give them back their freedom! At the end of the excursion, the RAVON tour leader will tell some more about the research on eels and knack eels.
Start time 13.00
Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours including seagulls
You will receive an exact location by email in the week before the excursion.
Additional Details
Name of contact person - Thijmen van Heerde
Country - The Netherlands
Organizer
ARK Rewilding Nederland (founded in 1989) works on vast, robust and dynamic nature reserves, where natural processes can take their course. This results in an unprecedented wealth of landscapes with the associated flora and fauna. ARK works in a practice- and implementation-oriented way. We want to show what is possible, even in a densely populated country like the Netherlands. Rewilding is: trusting in the restorative power of nature; giving space and time to natural processes; minimal management, more spontaneous development; coexistence of man and all life; perspective and hope for a liveable world.
Venue
The Afferdensche and Deestse values were established fairly recently. One of the interventions is the construction of a co-flowing side channel. The longest in the Netherlands. The area is managed and owned by Staatsbosbeheer and Rijkswaterstaat.
