1. The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer. By Hans Ole Hansen Danish Forest and Nature Agency - Regional Office Wadden Sea And a 13.5 million € nature restoration project

2. . Houting-project Whitefish (Coregonus laveratus) Houting (Coregonus oxyrhynchus)

3. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project The eggs are spawned in the streams JFMAMJJASOND

4. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project The eggs develop JFMAMJJASOND

5. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project The eggs hatch – the fry are approx. 1 cm JFMAMJJASOND

6. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project The fry drift to static waters JFMAMJJASOND

7. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project The fry swims into the Wadden Sea – approx. 3-4 cm JFMAMJJASOND

8. Houting life-cycle. Houting-project At age 3-4 years the mature houting return to the stream to spawn for the first time JFMAMJJASOND

9. Up to 60 cm – more than 10 years. Houting-project

10. Houting life-demands. Houting-project Clean water Free passage – both up- and downstream Adequate physical conditions Adequate spawning conditions Adequate nursery areas Evergreen water plants Gentle stream maintenance

11. Houting distribution. Houting-project Before

12. Human benefits -> Houting threats. Houting-project Closed sluices Drainage Obstacles / Damming Lack of physical variation Harsh maintenance -> Poor physical conditions and destroyed spawning areas Pollution Fishery

13. Houting distribution. Houting-project Today Before

14. : ”Approx. 7,000 houting”. Houting-project

15. : ”Approx. 7,000 tigers”. Houting-project

16. The houting is the ”Tiger of Europe”. Houting-project The houting is included in the EU Habitat Directive as a priority species - we have an obligation to ensure its survival! Eremit

17. . Houting-project

18. Breeding and release of fry 1987-92. Houting-project

19. . Houting-project Management plan for Houting - 2003

20. . Houting-project The overall objective of the Houting- project To restore and maintain a favourable conservation status for the houting in four south-western Jutlandic rivers

21. EU - Life. Houting-project In 2005 Life-Nature granted 70 mio. € to 55 projects in 20 EU-countries The Houting-project received 8 mio. € - i.e. 12 % of the 70 mio. € The Houting-projects total budget amounts 13.5 mio. € - but still grows…!

22. . Houting-project Price index 100 : 1995 Asphalt works Excavations etc. Steel & iron constructions Concrete constructions The budget still grows…! Furthermore… Since 2004 fuel prices have risen with more than 60 % & land prices more than 100%

23. 4 rivers in the Houting-project. Houting-project River Varde Å River Sneum Å River Ribe Å River Vidå

24. The Houting-project will:. Houting-project Remove 13 obstacles Give access to an additional 130 km new river habitats Eliminate mortality of drifting fry past fish farms Create new spawning grounds Restore approx. 30 km river Create 500 ha new nursery areas Purchase of commercial netting rights Highlight the importance of watercourses to Danish nature

25. River Varde Å. Houting-project Demolish a dam Close a canal & hydropower plant All water back into the original river Re-meander and enlarge the original river Restoring 30 meanders (17 km -> 21 km) Free passage past the fish farm 30.000 m 3 new spawning gravel

26. Sneum Å. Houting-project Re-meander 3 km of the river and create 70 ha new nursery areas Close 4 fish farms … and even more fish farms

27. River Ribe Å. Houting-project Stamp Mill demolished New flooding frequency to improve nursery areas Free passage past two fish farms Spawning-riffles Purchase of commercial netting rights

28. . Houting-project River Ribe Å

29. River Vidå. Houting-project Free passage past the mill by constructing a sheet pile through the millpond 90 ha wetland Free passage past fish farm

30. . Houting-project The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer Restore 30 km rivers Remove 13 obstacles Give access to 130 km new river habitats Eliminate mortality of fry Create new spawning grounds Create 500 ha new nursery areas

31. . Houting-project The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer But in ADDITION : Close or rebuild 10 fish farms Remove a major dam Free access in River Kongeå

32. . Houting-project The Houting – A nature restoration sledge hammer

33. Houting-project. Houting-project Follow the progress in the Houting-project from the project homepages www.snaebel.dk & www.houting.dk

34. . Houting-project Rens Fish Farm

35. . Houting-project Rens Fish Farm

36. . Houting-project Bachmanns Mill

37. . Houting-project Lake Nørresø at Tønder