MEASURES - MEET THE TEAM: REVIVO, Institute for ichthyological and ecological research

18-02-2019

Institute Revivo is a young and ambitious non-profit NGO from Slovenia, established in November 2015. Our team consist of innovative, out of the box thinking and experienced scientists from different fields of natural sciences. Unfearful desire to conserve aquatic ecosystems on the one hand and to contribute to well-being of communities living and working close to the rivers on the other, is the inner fire of the team that gives us the energy to take part in different environmental and conservation projects on national and international level. We aim to change people's perception of nature not as a resource to be used, but a gift that enables our survival. Which is why we need to understand and protect it carefully. Our vision is a world where people will understand the impact that we have on nature with everything that we do, will respect it for that and will use its services sustainably.

Dr. Polona Pengal, BSc. Blaž Cokan and MSc. Eva Horvat constitute the Slovenian MEASURES team from Revivo that will be implementing pilot activities on the Danube tributaries - Mura and Sava Rivers in Slovenia.

As the only partner from Slovenia in the MEASURES project we will participate in different project activities such as (I) mapping the habitats of medium and long distance migratory fish species - nase, barbel, cactus roach, vimba bream and sterlet; (II) developing harmonized methodology to identify preferred fish habitats (in Danube tributaries) and (III) develop policy recommendations for the third round of RBMPs, so that migratory fish habitats will be preserved and protected. Habitats in the Sava and Mura Rivers recognized in this way will be connected and secured as important eco-corridors for migratory fish species of the Danube River.

Activities of the MEASURES project are a great opportunity for Slovenia to gain missing, but valuable information on migratory fish species whose populations are declining around Europe. An alarming knowledge gap in regard to presence of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) in the Mura and Sava Rivers exists in Slovenia, which hampers conservation efforts. Project partners will jointly integrate our key findings from field and literature surveys into the existing management and policy plans, future infrastructure projects and EU-legislation. All the data and knowledge gathered will also be made available through Measures Information System to policy, administrative and scientific public.

In Revivo we are looking forward to all findings and deliverables of the MEASURES project, since these will bring us one step closer to our mission in protecting the gifts of nature and passing our knowledge to future generations.

(from left to right: Eva Horvat, Blaž Cokan, Jan Potočnik Erzin and Polona Pengal)

Programme co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF, IPA, ENI)