PRESS AREA
Key facts, press release and officials letters
2022-2019
>> November 2022 : Works on the Rhinau & Marckolsheim fish passes really entered the active phase >More infos
>> May 2021 : President Macron announces the financing of the upgrading of the Rhinau and Marckolsheim dams (fishways). > More infos
>> February 2021 : The Rhinaissance project for a renaturation of the Old Rhine in the Taubergiessen and the island of Rhinau is launched. > More infos
>> February 2020 : Rhinminister Conference in Amsterdam : NGO-Presserelease in german or french
The main decisions concerning Fish passability :
-> Complete fish passability: Migratory fish shall be able to migrate from the North Sea up to the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen and to colonise their habitats. For this purpose, on the Upper Rhine, fish passes at the barrages Rhinau (2024), Marckolsheim (2026) and Vogelgrün (as soon as possible), including in all “Schlingen” have to be operational and at least 300 further migration obstacles in the catchment area have to be made passable.
>> 27th November 2019 : Letter from NGOs (french&german) for the ecological continuity : “Joint position of environmental protection NGOs in the Rhine basin on the ecological continuity of the Upper Rhine”
>> 19 November 2019 : German Fisheries Federation and 23 other German, French and Swiss organisations submitted a petition to the Dutch Parliament in The Hague, calling for a reconsideration of net fishing before the Rhine estuary > More Infos
>> August 2019 : The Commission is calling on France to comply with its obligations under EU law (the Water Framework Directive, Directive 2000/60/EC. > More Infos
>> 4-5 July 2019: France presents its overall plan for the restoration of the ecological continuity of the Rhine between Rhinau and Vogelgrün. In the plan, France’s original commitment to establish continuity up to Basel by 2020 is dropped. However, the plan provides for the passability of the loops and an upgrading of the tributaries. The delegations of Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands as well as NGOs from these countries reacted sharply to this proposal and accused France of not wanting to comply with the obligation to provide the Rhinau, Marckholsheim dams with fish passes until 2043.
2018-2016
>> 16th December 2018 : ERN and the Salmoncomeback Coalition file an EU complaint against France (non-compliance with the WFD in the preparation of fish continuity on the Franco-German Rhine). More infos
>> 15th November 2018 : Press release (english) The Netherlands inaugurates Haringvliet opening. Read press release from the Salmon Comeback coalition : “Gateway to the Rhine open for salmon”
>> July 2018 : On the occasion of the ICPR plenary session, France withdraws the project of a “Mobile Fish Pass” between Rhinau and Vogelgrün, which has been fought by ngOs. But they have not presented an alternative proposal.
>> November 2017 : the German Naturschutz Ring joins the SalmonComeback campaign
>> 21st June 2017 : Press release (french) from the Salmon Comeback coalition : “Rhine salmon: NGOs challenge Nicolas Hulot, new Minister of State Ecological Transition“
>> 16th June 2017 : Letter (in french) from the Salmon Comeback coalition to the French Ministry, “Restoration of the ecological continuity of the Rhine: positioning of NGOs”
>> 7th June 2017 : Press release (german) from WWF Switzerland, stocking of 3900 juvenile salmons
>> 20th May, 2016: World Fish Migration Day Read WWF presse release : french – german – ERN presse release (french)
>> 19 May 2016 : Inauguration of Strasbourg fish pass. See the press reports and interview (in French only, article in the DNA or RUE 89)
>> 12th May 2016 : Letter (french) from the Salmon Comeback coalition to the French Ministry
>> 22 March 2016 : Participation in a workshop about Vogelgrün, organized by the ICPR in Koblenz, whith EDF participation.
>> 21st March 2016 : Letter from the European Commission (english) to F. Mitteault, French Ministry of Ecology, Restoration of ecological continuity in the Upper Rhine
2015-2013
>> 1-3 October 2015 : Organization of an international “Atlantic salmon summit” in Huningue, Alsace. Around 120 people participated in the 4 days of the seminary and 40 people participated in the excursions. Link to the summit
>> 13 July 2015 : Press release (french) from ICPR, Vienna
>> June 2015 : Media action in front of the «EDF Grand Est» office in Mulhouse to ask the exact schedule for the performance of works. About 20 activists symbolically blocked access of buildings with a 2.5 meters high dam. A stepladder symbolizing the fish pass. Afterwards, the delegation was received by EDF. > More Infos
>> 17th June 2015 : Press release from the Salmon Comeback coalition, EDF plus lent que le saumon ! EDF doit tenir ses promesses d’urgence german or french
>> 4th June 2015: Press release (french) from the Salmon Comeback coalition, Ile de Kembs : EDF doit aller plus loin
>> 14 April 2015 : Open letter (french) sent to the French Ministry of Ecology expressing our growing concern about the attitude of EDF regarding the restoration of ecological continuity of the Rhine.
>> December 2014 : Discussion with the representative of the French Ministry of Ecology to express dissatisfaction with the timetable proposed by EDF and the feasibility of short-term solution.
>> November 2014 : 18 people of France, Germany and Switzerland (NGOs and State departments) and EDF participated in a trans-border journey about Restrheine restoration. Report in French and German
>> September 2014 : A delegation of the coalition took part in Vogelgrün seminar, organized by the ICPR. The seminar gathered scientists, NGOs, EDF and state departments of France, Germany and Switzerland. New solutions (from Switzerland) to restore ecological continuity in Vogelgrün have emerged and were discussed.
>> July 2014 : Visit of the EDF lab in Chatou (France). In this research center, a model of the old Rhine was created to simulate the effect of renaturation by sedimentary discharge and deflector creation.
>> June 2014 : School kids from Birsfelden released 3000 juvenile salmons into the Birs (a tributary of the Rhine) – a regular measure by local authorities, fishermen and WWF Switzerland, conducted within the ICPR project “salmon 2020”.
>> March 2014 : Meeting with EDF to discuss the details of the short-term solutions announced at the Rhine Ministers conference in Basel in October 2013. This event was also an opportunity to visit the Strasbourg hydropower plant and its fish pass (under construction).
>> 28th October 2013 : Ministerial Declaration, ICPR: 15th Conference of Rhine Ministers, Basel, french – english
>> October 2013 : Handover of the petition signed by 12,797 people to a representative of the French Minister (Laurent Roy, Water Director), just before the ministerial conference in Basel. Ahead of the ministerial conference, a symbolic journey was organized, where a giant 4 m salmon traveled all the way through the streets of Strasbourg (France), Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland). > More infos
>> September 2013 : Official letter sent to the French Ministry of Ecology to support our petition and in which we demanded a clear statement and road map to reach the 2020 objective. Read the petition
>> May 2013 : Meeting with EDF to discuss the details of the planned schedule for restoring ecological continuity in the Rhine.
Press reports
>> November 2018: Opening of the storm surge barrier on the Haringvliet
>> May 2016 : Inauguration of Strasbourg fish pass, french
>> October 2015 : Atlantic Salmon Summit Huninque – France, in french german and english
>> June 2015 :Media action in Mulhouse (FR), french
>> 2015 : Various article published in Switzerland, german
>> June 2014 : Jungfisch Besatz Birsfelden (CH), german
>> October 2013 : Media action and Rhine ministerial conference in Basel, french and german
>> 2013 : Various article published in Switzerland, german and french
>> 2013 : Call for the petition, WWF Magazine, german
>> June 2013 : Start of the Salmon Comeback Campaign, german