On November 24-30, 2019, a team of EPA Gorj visited two LIFE projects in Italy and Austria aimed at ecological reconstruction and restoration of the connectivity of some rivers and the rehabilitation of some fish populations.

The first project they visited was IdroLIFE - Conservation and management of freshwater fauna of EU interest within the ecological corridors of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, LIFE15 NAT / IT / 000823. It is implemented by CNR - Water Research Institute (Verbania division - CRN-ISE), and the host of the visit was Pietro Volta, ecological reconstruction specialist and project manager.

The program included visiting two sites on the Toce River and the San Bernardino River, where ecological reconstruction measures were implemented, in particular fish-passages to restore the connectivity of some river sectors. The main objective of the mentioned project is to improve the conservation status of some species of fish of community interest, such as Salmo marmoratus, Rutiluspigus, Chondrostomasoetta, Cottusgobio and Leuciscussouffia, firstly by restoring the longitudinal connectivity, compromised by artificial obstacles, as well as riverbed thresholds and water collection thresholds for hydropower purposes.

The second project visited was LIFE + Lavant: Habitats network for endangered small fish species, LIFE10 NAT / AT / 000017. The project approached the issue of longitudinal connectivity, by the construction of fish passages, but also measures of ecological reconstruction - hydromorphological diversification and reconstruction of aquatic and riparian habitats on Lavant River, a tributary of Drava River. Here, there were identified different technical solutions of fish passages, but especially of ecological diversification and reconstruction of aquatic and riparian habitats, issue also approached within Fish for LIFE project.