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Fish migration v.s. hydro power in the Netherlands Niels Brevé, Gerard de Laak 6 April 2017
The Netherlands Anything we do in this country to improve fish migration has a positive impact upstream 3
Fish migration Migration of fish between: Spawning areas Nursery areas Feeding grounds Over wintering grounds And the routes in between those locations Migration can be over (very) short distances Or over (very) large distances All fish tend to migrate 4
Dutch migratory species: diadromous (L) and potamodromous (R) As you can see, in particular diadromous species seem to have a problem IUCN CITES Habitat richtlijn NL Rode lijst NL Flora & fauna lijst CE II European eel (Anguilla anguilla) Three spined stickle back (Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus) smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) ide (Leuciscus idus) EX II + IV Houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus) II sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) V barbel (Barbus barbus) LR II + V Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar ) II + V river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) chub Leuciscus cephalus) II brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri ) sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta) nase (Chrondostroma nasus) II + V Twaite shad (Alosa fallax ) DD II + V Allis shad (Alosa alosa) dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) CE I II + IV European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) burbot (Lota lota)
The problem: fish migration barriers Sluices, weirs, pumping stations and hydro power plants 20.000 + objects that are very useful for: Safety (dry feet), Fresh water, Navigation, Agricultural purposes However, these objects cause many problems, as seen through the eyes of a fish, any fish. 6 Brevé et al., 2014
How innocent is hydro power? 7
Hydro power damage 8
Hydro power damage 9
Hydro power damage 10
Hydro power damage 11
Hydro power damage, going upstream 12
Salmon smolts go downstream mostly via the main current thus into the turbines 13
Kaplan turbines are NOT fish friendly 14
E.g. mortality smolts caused by Kaplan turbine Linne (Kemper, 2010): Red line = smolts drop over the weir. Blue line = via the Kaplan turbine = 24 % mortality. (Larinier, 2008): the direct mortality rates for 15 Kaplan turbines varied between 8 20 %. 15 (Kemper et al., 2010)
European policy - fish migration Water Framework Directive Habitat directive / Natura 2000 European eel directive Benelux directive on free fish migration IUCN Red list and IUCN guidelines Towards an ingegrated solution on the rehabilitation of fish migration within river basins 16
Selection of barriers to solve 2.745 objects Deadline 2027 17
Progres 2015: 1.131 solved www.vismigratie.nl 18
Large investments! 560 Mln (2014) Examples: Haringvliet-dam : Afsluitdijk vismigratierivier: Vispassages Nederrijn/Lek: Vispassage Borgharen: Aquaduct A4, Gouwe: 75 mln 85 mln 7 mln 3 mln 20 mln
Rhine-West INTEGRADED approach Identify and solve the most important routes for fish migration 20
Installed hydropower capacity per country in Europe The 7 existing hydro power plants yield a maximum of 0,03% (3 Promille) of the Dutch energy demands (CBS, 2014) This share can only be doubled. And only with governmental subsidy there is a business case. For example: wind energy (sea and land) already yield 6% (2016). Water management, Water Framework Directive & Hydropower Common Implementation Strategy Workshop Brussels, 13-14 September 2011 Issue Paper (final version) 21
Statement on hydro power by our main nature NGO s Nederland is geen waterkracht land! NO Not in the main stem of rivers Rhine and Meuse. Not in large tributary rivers (i.e. IJssel). Remove old hydro power turbines! No loose initiatives allowing hydro power per water authority. UNLESS (For anyone who still wants to work with hydropower, please consider this) Work towards an integrated approach on hydro power per river basin. Innovate! on fish friendly turbines. Since by passes never fully work. Take a closer look at other less harmful options, such as hydro power from waves at sea. 22 22
Many thanks for your attention!