“In the Netherlands, salmon was once seen as food for the poor,” says Herman Wanningen, founder of the World Fish Migration Foundation and the Dam Removal Europe movement. “There was a lot of salmon in the 1600s and 1700s, and people didn’t want to eat it every day. Millions of the fish travelled in from the sea and up rivers through the delta on their way to Germany and the Swiss Alps.”
Then came a dramatic change to the rich riverscape with the Delta Works in the mid- 1900s; a series of construction projects in the south-west Netherlands to protect the area of delta surrounding the rivers Rhine, Schelde and Maas. “The Dutch say ‘we’re proud of how we managed the delta. We built dams, sluices, dykes, locks and levees, to make it safe for humans and reduce the risk of flooding’, but the result was that it was not a good place for fish,” explains Wanningen. “That, in turn, had an impact on birds and fish-eating animals, such as eagles and otters. There was far more diversity and abundance of fish and wildlife here 100 years ago.”
What happened in the Netherlands happened on a global scale. Throughout history, humans have attempted to modify and control nature, including water sources for crops, livestock and drinking. But the construction of river barriers accelerated during the Industrial Revolution, to power mills and factories, create reservoirs and aid flood management. Today, an estimated 1.2 million dams, weirs, culverts and other barriers straddle Europe’s rivers – at least 100,000 of which are thought to be obsolete. The UK is thought to have between 50,000-60,000 of these structures, at least 10 per cent of which serve no purpose.
Fears for freshwater fish
This story is from the August 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2021 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Giant panda
Cuddly-looking with highly distinctive black-and-white fur and dark ‘spectacles’, the giant panda – often referred to simply as the panda – is an undeniably popular and much-loved bear, both the national animal of China and, of course, the iconic logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
CRUISE CONTROL
As more people are drawn to experience the frozen frontiers, can tourism to the seventh continent be a good thing for nature?
COWS COME HOME
Tauros are the closest thing to the extinct aurochs. And they are coming to the UK.
BIG LITTLE JOURNEYS
A closer look at the smallbut-mighty animals that must travel vast distances to survive
MOUNTAIN MISSION
Canada lynx and wolverines are secretive creatures, but dedicated scientists in Montana are tracking them to inform conservation
LET'S GET TOGETHER - ROOSTING PIED WAGTAILS
Remember to look up this Christmas to enjoy gangs of pied wags' gathered in the trees
FEMALE OF THE SPECIES - REINDEER
Lucy Cooke explains why the females of this Christmas icon have antlers too
Ancient woodland still at risk from HS2
Scrapping the northern phase has spared some sites, but woodlands and reserves remain under threat
Ocean superheroes
Release of 10.000 oysters in North East England promises to improve water quality and marine life
MEET THE VOLUNTEER - Keith Dobell
The retiree cares for a park, an old railway track and a wood in his home county of Northamptonshire