The history of the Tyrolean Lech wild fish stock initiative

THE INITIAL SITUATION
The story begins with a decades-long decline in the fish population in the Tyrolean Lech. In February 2020, the ALFFA water study was published - the first holistic analysis of the influencing factors and their effect on the fish fauna of this river system.
Key criteria such as water morphology, hydrology, water chemistry, endocrine disruptors, piscivorous birds, macrozoobenthos and the surrounding area and its utilisation were investigated.
The results were remarkable: in all areas analysed, the Lech was certified as having excellent natural conditions for an intact wild fish population. Nevertheless, the fish ecological status was found to be far below the expected potential with only 20 kg of fish biomass per hectare - a clear indication of the urgent need for action.

THE STARTING SHOT
This was the decisive trigger for Wolfgang to launch the initiative Wild fish stock Tiroler Lech into being. Shortly after the launch, numerous partners were won over to the idea: the regional and Tyrolean fishing associations, scientists from the University of Innsbruck and several leaseholders and farmers along the Lech.
Together, they developed the vision of fundamentally reorganising the management of the Lech river and making it consistently sustainable - with the aim of gradually regenerating the wild fish population.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE
From then on, the stocking was carried out exclusively with brown trout from the Lech, in the form of eyed trout up to single-spotted trout. Fishing is now only carried out with soft hooks and in those sections where fish are taken, a removal window of 30-40 cm applies. Throughout the Lech Valley, work has begun to maintain or reactivate habitats and to connect tributaries that are no longer connected to the Lech to make it easier for fish to return to their spawning habitats. This V i d e o gives an impression of our work.

STATUS QUO
After six years, the successes are clearly visible. The age structure up to trout in the 40 cm range is back to what it should be, and trout in the 50-55 cm range are being landed again and again. At the same time, reports of successfully landed grayling are increasing. This is particularly pleasing after the grayling was categorised as „disappeared from the river“ years ago.

NEXT STEPS
Following the success of the brown trout project, we want to continue with an even larger grayling project. The aim is also to win over further districts for sustainable, ecological management. Raising awareness is an important part of the project - through cooperation with schools, media work and publicity campaigns, we want to increase public awareness of the importance of intact watercourses and species-rich fish stocks. Because only if people in the valley know about the situation of trout and grayling in the Lech will they also protect these fish.

THE DISTANT FUTURE
The initiative Wild fish stock Tiroler Lech The programme is to be continued until the Lech has a purely self-reproducing fish population that corresponds to its natural potential. Our aim is for our children and grandchildren to be able to experience the Lech as we remember it from our own childhood: As a lively, species-rich and natural habitat.

Left: Children from the primary school eagerly await the opening of the brown trout cocoons.

We would like to thank our sponsors. Without them, our sustainability project could not be realised: