AARC

The AARC project partnership has cooperated intensively to deliver a strategy for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), which has been demonstrated across the Atlantic Area, in targeted river basins, networked by regional/river observatories in each Member State. A central focus of this work has been the culturally and economically important migratory fish species that link the different waters of the Atlantic Area – particularly trout and shad. In the marine, coastal and freshwater environments, these species have been managed separately, and now the AARC project has created the tools to enable us to integrate their management.

The AARC project removed several barriers to migratory fish and delivered mutiple small scale riparian restoration works such as cattle fencing and coppicing work. Partners also looked at the conservation limits of salmonids across the atlantic arc area. Key learning points were to take an integrated approach to river catchment management where a wide array of societal demands are reviewed before a restoration plan is undertaken. In this instance partners reviewed the requirements of the river in terms of fisheries, food, water and energy before planning out a series of works both in and by the river