ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS AIMED AT RECOVERING FISH POPULATIONS WITHIN THE MAGRA-VARA PARK SCI

The project follows the previous action, “Monitoring cyclostoma populations present in the province of La Spezia” carried out by the Park (2005-2006) in collaboration with the Province of La Spezia and Dip.Te.Ris., University of Genoa that led to the drafting of an Action Plan aimed at conservation. Monitoring is still ongoing thanks to the collaboration of the Park Guards and sport fishing association volunteers (see graph).
The project (2006-2007) has contributed to improving the environmental conditions of the river and restoring the hydraulic continuity of the watercourses so as to enable fish species, and in general all species present, to recover original distribution areals. Actions to restore hydraulic and biological continuity by putting in place suitable artificial passages for fish in the barriers present along the river, and ecological improvement measures such as building furrows to contain the flow rate of low water and the inclusion of elements for the diversification of habitats, have therefore been put in place. Thus a series of large masses have been placed along the river axis in order to create differentiated habitats, shelter areas from predators, slower current areas to rest if the river is full and sand deposits that constitute suitable habitats for the initial phases of development of ammocetes.