Nearly 9,600 fish saved in Jura rescue operation
Around 16 kilometres of rivers in the Jura were the subject of rescue fishing operations during this summer’s drought. Nearly 9,600 fish, including 6,500 trout, were caught and then relocated to suitable sections of the main watercourse within the same catchment area.
“In several cases, these operations had to be launched very quickly following reports of animal deaths. Such operations had been carried out previously, but they have taken on a significantly greater scale this year,” stated the Jura Government in response to a question from MP Sonia Burri-Schmassmann (Vert-e-s).
The rescue fishing operations represent an estimated cost of 15,000 francs. Around 85 per cent of this amount relates to in-house services. “The cost of these operations would have been considerably higher without the voluntary participation of members of the various fishing societies,” the canton explained.
“Given the human resources that could be mobilised, as well as the technical and financial resources available, it was not possible to set up a specific monitoring programme to determine the fish survival rate,” the response stated.
The executive is, however, aware that, given the predicted recurrence of these episodes of drought and high temperatures, a strategic review of the measures to be implemented in the medium and long term is required. This will involve, in particular, identifying mechanisms to better anticipate such situations and limit their impact on aquatic environments and the wildlife they support.
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