SWIM project aligns with the EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters," aiming to restore, protect, and enhance habitats of migratory fish species in the Danube River Basin and the Northwestern Black Sea region.

By developing and implementing innovative, sustainable, and scalable solutions through 13 activities foreseen at 7 pilot sites, SWIM seeks to improve habitat connectivity, quality and conservation, and overall, the aquatic ecosystems health. The project will set new benchmarks in habitat restoration and actively contribute to the implementation of EU environmental policies through a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach. Building upon extensive past work in relevant projects the SWIM consortium goes a step further in implementing actual complementary technologies (ex-situ restocking actions, hatchery recovery, fish passages, lateral reconnections, digital platform in articulation with MEASURES Info System and DTO, distributed Info centres, etc) in a wide range of freshwater streams (Danube and Tributaries).

Sustainable Water and Integrated Management of Fish Migration and their Habitats in the Danube River Basin and NW Black Sea

A key element of SWIM's strategy is fostering transnational cooperation among diverse stakeholders and across different societal levels, co-designing joint solutions with governmental bodies, NGOs, researchers, and local communities, working through SWIM Alliance. This broad involvement aims to raise public support and ensure the long-term sustainability of the habitat restoration and protection measures, fostering biodiversity conservation, enhancing ecological resilience and the provision of ecosystem services, and thus promoting the socio-economic well-being of the local communities. SWIM's comprehensive approach to ecological restoration and management has the potential to serve as a model for similar efforts across Europe and beyond, making a significant impact on the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.

A central goal of SWIM is the creation of the SWIM Platform, which will connect experts to facilitate knowledge exchange. The project employs cutting-edge technologies, including AI for predictive modelling, hydrological models incorporating climate change projections, NBS for habitat restoration, drones for monitoring, blockchain for data management, virtual reality for stakeholder engagement, and real-time biotelemetry to track fish migration. Furthermore, SWIM will aim to establish strictly protected habitats, with a roadmap for their implementation. An essential factor in ensuring the success of migratory fish conservation will be building basin-wide public support through a network of Info Centres across multiple countries, providing broad protection for migratory fish and their habitats.