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Business trip report, Slovakia – winter mobile telemetric monitoring of fish in the Old Danube as part of the LIFE Living Rivers project 

From January 30 to February 1, 2026, Bořek Drozd (FROV JU) undertook a business trip as part of the LIFE Living Rivers project (101069837/LIFE21-IPE-SK-Living Rivers), focused on fulfilling task T.6.4. aimed at the current migration passability of the Gabčíkovo barrage system (Slovakia). Winter mobile telemetric monitoring of tagged fish (sterlet, barbel, asp) was carried out from a boat along the entire section of the former Danube riverbed between Čunovo and Sáp, including the end sections of both the Slovak and Hungarian side river branch systems and further in the Outflow Channel of the Gabčíkovo hydroelectric power plant. 

In the Old Danube, the most valuable parts of the river in terms of the occurrence of wintering grounds for rheophilic fish species were repeatedly identified. The data from the telemetric research will then be used to propose measures to make both the Čunovo and Gabčíkovo waterworks passable.

RNDr. Bořek Drozd, Ph.D.

Aigen-Schlägl, Austria; Buřič, Kubec, Vlk, Szydłowska, Aldorf

On 15–16 April 2026, field research was carried out on the Große Mühl River. The aim was to install a camera system for monitoring grayling (Thymallus thymallus) spawning grounds, including the potential assessment of the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), complemented by the installation of crayfish traps upstream and downstream of the spawning site to verify their presence.

The activities also included a field excursion at the pilot site for students of the Secondary Fish Farming School in Vodňany and High school in Vodňany, during which students were introduced by faculty experts to fieldwork practices, monitoring methods, current research topics, and the scope of the project.

The activity was carried out within the project ATCZ00180 Living Treasures / Živé poklady bystřin a tůní (INTERREG Austria–Czech Republic 2021–2027).

On 1 April 2026, a meeting was held at the Große Mühl River (Austria) with the participation of FROV JU (Szydłowska, Burič, Císař, Koliada) and BOKU (Hauer). The aim was to visit grayling (Thymallus thymallus) spawning sites and to plan the installation of a camera system for monitoring spawning grounds, including the assessment of the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), which may disturb spawning habitats and threaten eggs through direct predation, as documented in salmonid species.

The discussion also included planning of further research, including the possible installation of an automated fish pass monitoring system capable of determining the number and species of migrating fish using camera-based machine learning.

The activities were carried out within the project ATCZ00180 Living Treasures / Živé poklady bystřin a tůní (INTERREG Austria–Czech Republic 2021–2027).

From 22 to 24 March 2026, I undertook a business trip to Brussels, the main purpose of which was to participate in expert meetings focused on assessing the invasiveness of eight selected non-native species. These discussions represent some of the initial steps that could, in the future, lead to their inclusion on the list of invasive alien species of Union concern, commonly referred to as the “Union list”.

This list includes species that are non-native to the EU as a whole, for which negative impacts are either already documented or highly likely, that have the capacity to spread across Member States, and for which effective measures exist to prevent or mitigate their introduction, spread, and adverse impacts.

The issue of non-native crustaceans is currently of particular importance, not only in the context of ongoing ecological and climate change, but also due to the rapid spread of several key species across Europe. Our participation was highly valued thanks to our long-standing scientific outputs in this field. Among the assessed species were the Florida crayfish (Procambarus alleni), whose first and, to date, only European population we recorded in Hungary in 2018 (original article here), and the Oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense), whose first occurrences in Central Europe—specifically in Germany and Hungary—were recorded by our team in 2023 (original article here).

Owing to our close engagement with the subject, long-term primary data collection, extensive international collaboration, and scientific publications, we can provide uniquely relevant information that has a direct impact on European decision-making in the field of water protection and biodiversity conservation.

A team from the Laboratory of Freshwater Ecosystems, consisting of Miloš Buřič, Martin Bláha, Lukáš Veselý, and Jakub Kocour, participated in the “6th Croatian Symposium on Invasive Species,” held in Zagreb, Croatia, on 24–25 November 2025. The conference focused on issues related to invasive species in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The programme included both oral and poster presentations.

Below is an overview of the presentations delivered by our team:

• Jakub Kocour
  – poster: SPREAD OF THE FIRST POPULATION OF RED SWAMP CRAYFISH Procambarus clarkii IN SOUTHERN SLOVAKIA

For three months, I was privileged to be part of Professor René Sahm’s lab as an intern at Kassel University. I had the chance to experience working alongside people who helped me learn techniques in handling juveniles of thick-shelled river mussel Unio crassus, seeing how conservation science is approached in a different country and realizing how much perspective shapes the way problems are solved.

Outside the lab, the city of Kassel itself became part of the experience, wandering the streets, exploring parks, and talking with locals gave a sense of connection. These activities reminded me that experiencing the culture is just as important as academic growth.

Looking back, the experience was more than just an academic internship; it was a journey that blended scientific work with cultural exploration. Not only gaining new skills and knowledge, but also with memories of the people and places that made the experience both grounding and inspiring.

On February 10-11, Miloš Buřič and Martin Bláha participated in the first official project meeting of the BY-CZ Interreg project GLOBALMUS - Protection of native species and water management in the era of global change - support of key species of large bivalves. The meeting was held at the park office in Fuchsmühl. In addition to representatives of the FFPW USB, the meeting was attended by Elisabeth Frank, director of the nature park, Andreas Dobler, a member of the Coordination Group for the Protection of Bivalves in Bavaria (MUKO), and other colleagues from the Naturpark. Details of the following activities for this year were discussed during the meeting. The project was also officially presented to the mayor of the town of Falkenberg, Matthias Grundler, Landrat Rolland Grillmeier and significant persons from local stakeholders and water managers. The town of Falkenberg will host the first conference meeting held on 18^th June 2026.

From 20 to 24 April 2026, students enrolled in courses focused on hydrobiology, the ecology of non-native organisms, and biological invasions took part in a professional field excursion to Austria and Hungary. Among other sites, they visited the Biological Station of Lake Neusiedl, the Kis-Balaton wetland system, Lake Hévíz—the largest thermal lake in the world suitable for swimming—and the Balaton Limnological Research Institute in Tihany.

The excursion focused on the study of unique freshwater ecosystems and on issues related to non-native and invasive species. Students had the opportunity to observe a wide range of rare animal species and to become familiar with practical aspects of research, monitoring, and management of aquatic ecosystems. The programme concluded with a discussion on the risks associated with the introduction of non-native species through trade in live organisms.

For the participants, the excursion represented a valuable opportunity to link theory with practice and made a significant contribution to their professional development.

Author: Lukáš Bartásek

Between October 8 and 11, 2025, a business trip took place to the HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute in Tihany, Hungary. The purpose of the visit was to attend an international meeting of researchers from Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, and Hungary, focused on the conservation of endangered fish species associated with wetlands and the preservation of Central European wetland ecosystems. Representing FROV, the participants were Szydłowska, Balzani, Buřič, and Fritsch from the Laboratory of Freshwater Ecosystems.

The meeting aimed to connect researchers and conservation professionals and to promote international cooperation in the field of wetland research and conservation. The program included scientific presentations, workshops focused on project development, and field excursions to selected sites around Lake Balaton. A session was also held for participants to share information about the ongoing ATCZ00180 Living Treasures project.

Participants agreed on the need to establish a long-term regional cooperation platform to support research, data sharing, and joint conservation initiatives, including the preparation of project proposals and studies.

From 11 to 13 August 2025, we (Anna Koubová and Antonín Kouba) undertook a business trip to Poland. The aim was to investigate the distribution of the spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) in the vicinity of the village of Barnówko. This is the location where, in 1890, the German breeder Max von dem Borne released approximately 100 specimens of spiny-cheek crayfish originating from the Delaware River basin in Pennsylvania, USA.

 The original motivation for this introduction was to find a replacement for the disappearing populations of the native noble crayfish (Astacus astacus), which at the time was experiencing a mass die-off caused by what was then an unknown disease – crayfish plague. Due to its small size, the spiny-cheek crayfish proved unsuitable for fisheries or aquaculture purposes. However, it spread via the local Myśla River into the Oder and beyond – largely aided by human activity – eventually reaching almost all of Poland. Today, it can be found in more than twenty European countries and often remains a carrier of a specific and highly virulent genotype of the crayfish plague pathogen.

 Previous genetic studies conducted across Europe have shown low genetic diversity within spiny-cheek crayfish populations, a result of the relatively small number of individuals initially introduced. However, these studies have never included the area of its first release in Europe. Addressing this gap is the main focus of our current research.

 We would like to thank Maciej Bonk from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences for his assistance with this project.

Business trip report, Slovakia – preparation of the Action Plan for Sturgeons in Slovakia

On March 4, 2026, a meeting was held to prepare the Action Plan for Sturgeons in Slovakia, which will be part of the new Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons (PANEUAP) prepared under the auspices of the European Commission, respectively the Danubian Sturgeon Task Force. Representatives of many Slovak organizations and water users participated in the activities. Bořek Drozd participated on behalf of FFPW USB and presented the current status of the activities related to sturgeons addressed within the integrated LIFE project Living Rivers (101069837/LIFE21-IPE-SK-Living Rivers). During a very long and fruitful discussion, nearly 70 objectives of the new PANEUAP were discussed, and their relevance and feasibility in the conditions of the Slovak Republic were assessed. Work on the document will continue over the next few years.  

RNDr. Bořek Drozd, Ph.D.

On November 14-17, 2025, Bořek Drozd (FFPW USB) participated with other project partners in the field part of the monitoring mission of the LIFE Living Rivers project (101069837/LIFE21-IPE-SK-Living Rivers), which evaluates the progress of the project to date. In the presence of both project auditors, the project sites concerned were visited, all activities carried out were presented, plans were discussed, and the overall concept of proposed changes to improve the ecological status of flowing waters in Slovakia was discussed. European Commissioner Federico de Filippi paid special attention to the passability of the Slovak part of the Danube (affected by the construction of the Gabčíkovo barrage system) for fish and to the telemetric monitoring of fish conducted by the University of South Bohemia. As part of the business trip, mobile telemetric monitoring of the tagged fishes (sturgeon, barbel, asp) was also carried out from a boat in the former river bed of the Danube River.

Written by: RNDr. Bořek Drozd, Ph.D.

In November, Paride Balzani and Ismael Soto attended the InvaPact III workshop in Girona, Spain. The aim of the workshop was to quantify the impacts of biological invasions.

In October 2025, Paride Balzani was at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (Turkey) for a teaching mobility.

Telemetric study within LIFE Living Rivers project

On January 4-7, 2026, the staff of the FFPW USB (Bořek Drozd, Marek Let, Martin Vlk, Pavel Staněk, Filip Kupka and Jan Kubec) downloaded data from telemetric gates installed on water structures and in free-flowing passages in the Slovak-Hungarian part of the Danube in order to determine the migratory activity of the sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), asp (Leuciscus aspius) and barb (Barbus barbus) in the project area of ​​the integrated LIFE project Living Rivers (101069837/LIFE21-IPE-SK-Living Rivers). In addition, maintenance, service and repair of the installed telemetric equipment were performed.

Author: RNDr. Bořek Drozd, Ph.D.

Ve dnech 10.–11. února se Miloš Buřič a Martin Bláha účastnili první oficiální schůzky bavorsko-českého Interreg projektu GLOBALMUS – Ochrana původních druhů a vodní hospodářství v éře globálních změn – podpora klíčových druhů velkých mlžů. Schůzka se konala v sídle parku ve městě Fuchsmühl. Jednání se kromě zástupců FROV JU účastnila Elisabeth Frank, ředitelka přírodního parku, Andreas Dobler, člen Koordinační skupiny pro ochranu mlžů v Bavorsku (MUKO), a další kolegové z Naturparku. V rámci schůzky se domlouvaly detaily plánovaných akcí na letošní sezónu a projekt byl také oficiálně představen starostovi města Falkenberg Matthiasu Grundlerovi a okresnímu správci Rollandu Grillmeierovi za přítomnosti dalších významných osob z rybářské praxe a vodního hospodářství. Právě ve městě Falkenberg se bude konat první oficiální konference a prezentace projektu dne 18. června 2026.

Zpráva ze služební cesty, Slovensko – zimní mobilní telemetrické sledování ryb ve Starém Dunaji v rámci projektu LIFE Living Rivers

Ve dnech 30.1. až 1.2.2026 podnikl Bořek Drozd (FROV JU) v rámci projektu LIFE Living Rivers (101069837/LIFE21-IPE-SK-Living Rivers) služební cestu zaměřenou naplnění úkolu T.6.4. zaměřeného na aktuální migrační prostupnost vodních děl Gabčíkovské soustavy (Slovensko). Proběhlo zimní mobilní telemetrické sledování naznačených ryb (jeseter, parma, bolen) z lodi v celém úseku původního koryta řeky Dunaj v úseku od Čunova po Sáp, včetně koncových částí jak slovenské, tak i maďarské ramenné soustavy a dále v Odpadovém kanálu vodní elektrárny Gabčíkovo.

Ve Starém Dunaji tak byly opakovaně identifikovány nejcennější části toku z hlediska výskytu zimovisk reofilních druhů ryb. Data z telemetrického výzkumu pak poslouží k návrhu opatření pro zprůchodnění jak vodního díla Čunovo, tak i Gabčíkovo.

RNDr. Bořek Drozd, Ph.D.

Ve dnech 22.–24. března 2026 jsem absolvoval zahraniční pracovní cestu do Bruselu, jejímž hlavním cílem byla účast na odborných jednáních zaměřených na posouzení invazivnosti osmi vybraných nepůvodních druhů. Jednalo se o jedny z prvních kroků, které by v budoucnu mohly vést k jejich zařazení na seznam invazních nepůvodních druhů s významným dopadem na Unii, zkráceně označovaný jako „unijní seznam“.

Na tento seznam jsou zařazovány nepůvodní druhy pro EU jako celek, u nichž jsou známé nebo vysoce pravděpodobné negativní dopady, které mají schopnost šířit se napříč státy Unie a u nichž zároveň existují účinná opatření, jak omezit jejich vysazování, šíření a negativní dopady.

Téma nepůvodních korýšů je v současnosti mimořádně aktuální, a to nejen s ohledem na probíhající ekologické a klimatické změny, ale i na rychlé šíření několika klíčových druhů napříč Evropou. Naše účast byla vysoce ceněna díky dlouhodobým odborným výstupům v této oblasti. Mezi hodnocenými druhy byl například rak floridský (Procambarus alleni), jehož první a dosud jedinou populaci v Evropě jsme zaznamenali v Maďarsku v roce 2018 (původní článek zde), a východoasijská kreveta (Macrobrachium nipponense), jejíž středoevropské prvovýskyty – konkrétně v Německu a Maďarsku – jsme zaznamenali v roce 2023 (původní článek zde).

Díky naší blízkosti ke studované problematice, dlouhodobému primárnímu sběru dat, široké mezinárodní spolupráci a odborným publikacím jsme schopni poskytovat unikátně relevantní informace, které mají přímý dopad na evropské rozhodování v oblasti ochrany vod a biodiverzity.

Tým z Laboratoře sladkovodních ekosystémů ve složení Miloš Buřič, Martin Bláha, Lukáš Veselý a Jakub Kocour se ve dnech 24.–25. listopadu 2025 zúčastnil konference „6th Croatian Symposium on Invasive Species“, konané v Záhřebu v Chorvatsku. Konference byla zaměřena na problematiku invazních druhů ve vodních i suchozemských ekosystémech. V rámci programu zazněly jak ústní, tak posterové prezentace.

Níže uvádíme přehled našich prezentací:

• Miloš Buřič
  – ústní prezentace: AGAINST THE ODDS – THE DENSITY MATTERS WHEN COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF SIGNAL AND NOBLE CRAYFISH ON SALMONIDS
  – poster: TOPMOUTH GUDGEON Pseudorasbora parva (TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL, 1846) AS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO CRAYFISH IN PONDS

• Jakub Kocour
  – poster: SPREAD OF THE FIRST POPULATION OF RED SWAMP CRAYFISH Procambarus clarkii IN SOUTHERN SLOVAKIA

Exkurze za unikátními vodními ekosystémy v Rakousku a Maďarsku

Ve dnech 20.–24. dubna 2026 se studenti předmětů zaměřených na hydrobiologii, ekologii nepůvodních organismů a biologické invaze zúčastnili odborné exkurze do Rakouska a Maďarska. Navštívili mimo jiné Biologickou stanici Neziderského jezera, oblast Kis-Balaton, termální jezero Hévíz či Balatoniho limnologický výzkumný institut v Tihany.

Exkurze se zaměřila na studium unikátních sladkovodních ekosystémů a problematiku nepůvodních a invazních druhů. Studenti měli možnost pozorovat řadu vzácných živočichů a seznámit se s praktickými aspekty výzkumu, monitoringu i managementu vodních ekosystémů. Program byl zakončen diskusí o rizicích zavlékání nepůvodních druhů v souvislosti s obchodem s živými organismy.

Exkurze byla pro účastníky cenným propojením teorie s praxí a významným přínosem pro jejich odborný rozvoj.

Autor: Lukáš Bartásek