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The University of Murcia, through the Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology of the Faculty of Biology, has collaborated in the LIFE + Segura Riverlink project.
Fluvial postage, which tries to solve an environmental problem with the native fish of the Segura Basin.
The initiative has been coordinated by the Hydrographic Confederation of Segura and have also participated the Subdirectorate General of Natural Environment of the Autonomous Region of Murcia, the Agricultural and Agrifood Technology Institute (ITAGRA) and the Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE)
The LIFE Program is the only financial instrument of the European Union devoted exclusively to the environment.
Its general objective for the period 2004-2020 is to contribute to the sustainable development and achievement of the objectives and targets of the "Europe 2020 Strategy" and of the relevant strategies and plans of the Union in the field of environment and climate.
LIFE + Segura Riverlink is a demonstration project that has been carried out in the Region of Murcia, in stretches of the Segura and Moratalla rivers and has included some areas of the "Red Natura 2000".
The project sought to improve and strengthen the connectivity between natural ecosystems through a series of actions aimed at bringing the river to its natural state.
The Segura River is the protagonist of many natural sites in the Region of Murcia.
Besides the undoubted beauty of some points of its route, the Segura has been important for the agricultural or energetic exploitation of the region.
This, together with the great climatic contrasts that the basin has, have made this river one of the most regulated channels in Europe due to the large number of river obstacles built in it.
"It is one of the most affected basins at the level of regulation, there are many dams, the flow regimes do not follow environmental criteria, but rather criteria of agricultural demand and that has consequences on aquatic fauna", comments Francisco José Oliva, researcher of the project and professor of the UMU.
These obstacles, such as dams and weirs, interrupt the natural flow of water and sediments, and constitute physical barriers for the natural movements of migration, dispersal and colonization of fish between the high and low sections of the river, giving rise to environmental problems and worsening the ecological status from the river.
The team of the University of Murcia has focused mainly on its specialty: "We have been more involved in environmental monitoring of fish communities," says Professor Oliva.
The basin is very changed, fundamentally due to the invasion of species that are not autochthonous.
Many have come for the Tajo-Segura transfer.
Others do not even really know how they got here.
Several species were selected to monitor and study, although the sentinel species chosen was the barbel, which is native to the Segura River.
One of the main actions of the project was to construct fish shafts, that is, new steps that help native species to overcome the river and be able to eat or reproduce properly.
Some old dam has also been demolished.
Different scales have been constructed for the fish.
In this case, four types: two types of troughs (cement structures through which the fish goes "climbing"), the so-called "rock ramps" (it is used as a small help for the jump in weirs that are not difficult to franqueo) and artificial rivers: "It is a small stream that is created from the top of the dam, in a parallel way", explains Francisco José Oliva.
At this point, there was the University of Palencia, which has great experts in the design of steps for fish.
Although, undoubtedly, the innovative aspect of the project is in the social component of it.
Involving society
The riverbed passes through a large number of private territories.
The project has introduced a measure so that the owners of the adjacent lands (and in many cases exploit the river for agricultural or other work) are committed to the conservation of the Segura.
They have called it "Custody of the Territory".
This agreement with the owners, together with the participation of associations in the area, can lead to a better treatment of the environment, beyond the Public Hydraulic Domain.
"In a basin like this, it is essential that the bordering owners of those areas of involvement be involved, but also for example that the concessionaires of the dams, of these dams ...", the researcher points out.
In fact, participation and citizen involvement have been one of the axes of the project.
The plan included an extensive environmental volunteering program for citizens, of different ages and profiles, to participate directly in the development, execution and follow-up of the LIFE + Segura Riverlink.
This volunteer program was developed with the participation of the different associations present in the area, collecting their suggestions and proposals.
Awareness-raising activities were also carried out through an environmental education campaign in collaboration with the educational centers in the action areas.
Everything was coordinated by ANSE.
Continuity and application
The problem with some of these projects is that, when tools are discovered that improve the management of the environment, the results are not applied or subsequent investigations focus on other things and all the work remains a bit on the air.
"It is frustrating at times to see how all the work we have done is not applied, but we have to continue to contribute ideas and suggestions, if 100% is applied, great, if it is 50%, too, and if it is nothing, then we continue working ", admits Professor Oliva.
"From the universities we must carry out research that contributes something to society and more from ours, which are public." People are becoming more and more aware of this type of problem and we must continue contributing, "says Francisco José Oliva.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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