The aim is to assess the potential impact on the water ecosystem, fish habitats, and other protected natural values and to make an informed decision regarding the scope of the works.
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“Neris is an ecologically sensitive natural object, so we conduct environmental assessments very carefully before making decisions about maintenance works. For many years, the waterway was maintained without additional research and environmental impact assessment, but today such an approach is no longer acceptable either socially or institutionally. Accordingly, previously unimplemented procedures are applied, relying no longer on data from state databases, which may be incomplete or outdated, but on field research,” says Ilja Karužis, head of the Municipality Infrastructure Group.
Scientists from Klaipėda University are working on the section from Mindaugas Bridge to Vingis Park Bridge.
Fishing is necessary for ecological research
Klaipėda University scientists note that residents may notice researchers catching fish in the city center with special equipment, but they ask not to be alarmed – certified equipment and specialized nets are used for the research.
The chosen methods are widely used in Europe and other Western countries when studying fish communities. They allow determining the species composition, abundance, size structure, and distribution in different habitats of fish living in the water body.
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Fish caught during the research are identified, measured, and weighed, and after the necessary procedures, they are returned to the river, following established research methodologies and environmental protection requirements.
It is important to emphasize that fishing with specialized equipment is a research tool that allows obtaining reliable data about the fish living in the river and their habitats, and its purpose is the protection of natural values.
Research results – the basis for responsible planning of works
During the research, special attention is paid to protected, rare, and other ecologically significant fish species, as well as their habitats and feeding, growth, and spawning sites. The research results will allow determining which fish species live in the observed river sections, their abundance and community structure, and assessing the potential impact of waterway maintenance works on the river ecosystem and its natural values.
The importance of this research is increased by the fact that the studied section of the Neris is connected to a territory important for habitat protection (BAST), belonging to the European ecological network “Natura 2000.” Therefore, when planning changes to the river environment, decisions must be based on real data about the species and habitats present. The collected information will help assess the potential impact of planned works and, if necessary, provide measures to avoid or reduce it.
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