As part of the celebrations of World Fish Migration Day, the CONNECT project participated in a river walk dedicated to promoting awareness about fish migration, river connectivity, and the importance of healthy freshwater ecosystems.
The initiative brought together researchers, students, stakeholders, and members of the local community for an interactive walk along the Alviela river, where participants had the opportunity to discuss the ecological importance of free-flowing rivers and the challenges faced by migratory fish due to river fragmentation caused by dams, weirs, and other artificial barriers.
Throughout the activity, several topics were addressed, including:
- Fish migration and freshwater biodiversity;
- River connectivity and ecosystem functioning;
- Impacts of barriers on aquatic species;
- Possible mitigation measures and fish passage solutions;
- River restoration and conservation strategies;
- The importance of public engagement in protecting freshwater ecosystems.
The event provided an important opportunity for dialogue between scientists and society, encouraging participants to reflect on how rivers connect ecosystems, wildlife, and human communities.
This initiative was developed within the framework of the CONNECT Project, contributing to dissemination and public awareness activities focused on river connectivity and aquatic ecosystem conservation.
The activity was organised under the Rios Livres programme by GEOTA, in collaboration with the Municipality of Alcanena, the Centro Ciência Viva do Alviela, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), ISCTE, the Gerador platform, Movimento ProTejo, E-Rio, Associação Portuguesa de Recursos Hídricos (APRH), Centro de Estudos Florestais do Instituto Superior de Agronomia (CEF-ISA), the Associate Laboratory TERRA, and CLAPA.
World Fish Migration Day is a global initiative that highlights the importance of protecting migratory fish species and restoring river connectivity under the common theme “Connecting Fish, Rivers and People”.
And because a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a video of the event — worth even more!