The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer

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By

Hans Ole Hansen

Danish Forest and Nature Agency -

Regional Office Wadden Sea

And a 13.5 million € nature restoration project

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Houting-project

Whitefish (Coregonus laveratus)

Houting (Coregonus oxyrhynchus)

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

The eggs are spawned in the streams

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

The eggs develop

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

The eggs hatch – the fry are approx. 1 cm

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

The fry drift to static waters

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

The fry swims into the Wadden Sea – approx. 3-4 cm

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Houting life-cycle

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Houting-project

At age 3-4 years the mature houting return

to the stream to spawn for the first time

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Up to 60 cm – more than 10 years

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Houting-project

Houting life-demands

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Houting-project

Clean water

Free passage – both up- and downstream

Adequate physical conditions

Adequate spawning conditions

Adequate nursery areas

Evergreen water plants

Gentle stream maintenance

Houting distribution

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Houting-project

Before

Human benefits -> Houting threats

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Houting-project

Closed sluices

Drainage

Obstacles / Damming

Lack of physical variation

Harsh maintenance -> Poor physical conditions and destroyed spawning areas

Pollution

Fishery

Houting distribution

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Houting-project

Today

Before

: ”Approx. 7,000 houting”

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Houting-project

: ”Approx. 7,000 tigers”

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Houting-project

The houting is the ”Tiger of Europe”

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Houting-project

The houting is included in the EU Habitat Directive as a priority species - we have an obligation to ensure its survival!

Eremit

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Houting-project

Breeding and release of fry 1987-92

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Houting-project

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Houting-project

Management plan for Houting - 2003

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Houting-project

The overall objective of the Houting-project

To restore and maintain a favourable

conservation status for the houting in

four south-western Jutlandic rivers

EU - Life

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Houting-project

In 2005 Life-Nature granted 70 mio. € to 55 projects in 20 EU-countries

The Houting-project received 8 mio. € - i.e. 12 % of the 70 mio. €

The Houting-projects total budget amounts 13.5 mio. € - but still grows…!

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Houting-project

Price index 100 : 1995

Asphalt works

Excavations etc.

Steel & iron constructions

Concrete constructions

The budget still grows…!

Furthermore…Since 2004 fuel prices have risen with more than 60 % & land prices more than 100%

4 rivers in the Houting-project

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Houting-project

River Varde Å

River Sneum Å

River Ribe Å

River Vidå

The Houting-project will:

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Houting-project

Remove 13 obstacles

Give access to an additional 130 km new river habitats

Eliminate mortality of drifting fry past fish farms

Create new spawning grounds

Restore approx. 30 km river

Create 500 ha new nursery areas

Purchase of commercial netting rights

Highlight the importance of watercourses to Danish nature

River Varde Å

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Houting-project

Demolish a dam

Close a canal & hydropower plant All water back into the original river Re-meander and enlarge the original river

Restoring 30 meanders (17 km -> 21 km)

Free passage past the fish farm

30.000 m3 new spawning gravel

Sneum Å

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Houting-project

Re-meander 3 km of the river and

create 70 ha new nursery areas

Close 4 fish farms

… and even more fish

farms

River Ribe Å

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Houting-project

Stamp Mill demolished

New flooding frequency to improve

nursery areas

Free passage past two

fish farms

Spawning-riffles

Purchase of commercial netting rights

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Houting-project

River Ribe Å

River Vidå

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Houting-project

Free passage past the mill by

constructing a sheet pile

through the millpond

90 ha wetland

Free passage pastfish farm

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Houting-project

The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer

• Restore 30 km rivers • Remove 13 obstacles

• Give access to 130 km new river

habitats• Eliminate mortality of fry• Create new spawning grounds• Create 500 ha new nursery areas

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Houting-project

The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer

But in ADDITION :• Close or rebuild 10 fish farms• Remove a major dam• Free access in River Kongeå

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Houting-project

The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer

Houting-project

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Houting-project

Follow the progress in the Houting-project

from the project homepages

www.snaebel.dk & www.houting.dk

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Houting-project

Rens Fish Farm

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Houting-project

Rens Fish FarmRens Fish Farm

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Houting-project

Bachmanns Mill

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Houting-project

Lake Nørresø at Tønder