Sharesalmo stems from the mutual desire, shared by the partners, to strengthen the competitiveness, unique character and variety of its area through the enhancement of an emblematic, decisive and common resource for everyone, i.e. fish, specifically native salmonids. By recognising the Adriatic grayling (Thymallus aeliani), marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) and lake trout (Salmo trutta lacustris) as an invaluable natural resource with not only a strong ecological importance, but also a common and exclusive cultural, socio-economic and tourist one as well, the project promotes and initiates a participatory and shared process of sustainable management. The goal is achieved through direct interventions on the species (i.e. fish restocking), structural interventions (construction of fish passages), installation of a cross-border platform for monitoring the movement of fish, combatting non-native species (e.g. Wels catfish), governance and tourism promotion measures, and activities to raise awareness. Moreover, good management practices of fish fauna are developed that can be exported to similar situations.

The project area includes the Ticino river basin (Italian and Swiss), Lake Como and the Sesia River. This area, lying between Italy and Switzerland, encompasses the space in which the target species moves naturally.

Sharesalmo is a Interreg V 2014-2020 Italy – Switzerland cooperation programme jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund in which Italy and Switzerland collaborate through the exchange of information, good practices and the creation of networks.

Goal

The project implements a strategy to manage native salmonids – the marble trout (Salmo marmoratus), lake trout (Salmo trutta lacustris) and Adriatic grayling (Thymallus aeliani) – with a balance between conservation and exploitation, between wildlife protection and the promotion of tourism, aimed at enhancing the area.

Partners

Italian project leader: Lombard Park of the Ticino Valley

Swiss project leader: Canton of Ticino

Other partners: Grisons, CNR-IRSA of Pallanza (VB), Valsesia Mountain Communities Union, SVPS ASD – Valsesia Sport Fishermen’s Society ASD, G.R.A.I.A. srl, GAL “Terre del Sesia”

Actions

The Interreg projects are divided into sections known as Work Packages (WP), which consist of different actions. The Sharesalmo WPs are:

WP1 Coordination and management

With WP1, the Project Manager, Financial Manager and Communication Manager are appointed. The Steering Committee is set up, which has the task of coordinating and managing the project in general, as well as supporting the partners in the different administrative and financial activities, managing relations with the various authorities involved and controlling products, results and monitoring activities, exchanging information and overseeing the work progress.

WP1 activities:

• A1.1 Initiation of the administrative part of the project;
• A1.2 Coordination, exchange and partner discussions;
• A1.3 Monitoring of the progress and impact of the project.

WP2 Communication

With WP2, the strategy, objectives, products and recipients of the communication are decided. The communication plan is drawn up, the logo, structure of the website, topics to be developed in the communication products, activities to be carried out with the school groups and events dedicated to fishermen, etc. are decided.

WP2 activities:

• A2.1 Drafting of the communication plan and the Visual Identity manual;
• A2.2 Publication and maintenance of a project website;
• A2.3 Dissemination of a project newsletter;
• A2.4 Publication and maintenance of a Facebook page;
• A2.5 Dissemination of press releases;
• A2.6 Organisation of project events;
• A2.7 Creation and dissemination of printed information material;
• A2.8 Educational initiatives;
• A2.9 Publication of scientific articles;
• A2.10 Informative meetings involving fishermen and fishermen’s associations.

WP3 Implementation of a platform to monitor the migration of native salmonids at the water catchment level

This WP focuses on studying the migration patterns of native salmonids, especially lake trout, through the design and implementation of a cross-border monitoring platform for the movement of tagged fish. The system uses four different monitoring networks:

• an ultrasound bio-telemetry control network that makes use of fixed detectors, placed at strategic points in the Ticino basin, to continuously intercept fish fitted with transmitters and monitoring carried out with portable receivers throughout the study area;
• a control network by reading PIT Tags (microchips inserted in fish) in fixed continuous monitoring stations, located in key points of the basin, and monitoring with portable PIT Tag readers;
• the monitoring of trout in Lake Como through marking with alizarin (a substance that binds to the calcium of the otoliths in the head of the fish and becomes fluorescent, making the marking visible in the long term);
• a continuous control network consisting of the network of 4 video surveillance systems installed in the 4 fish passages on the river Tresa and sub-lake Ticino area.

WP3 actions:

• A3.1 Design and implementation of a cross-border platform to monitor the movements of native salmonids;
• A3.2 Monitoring by biotelemetry;
• A3.3 Monitoring with PIT Tags;
• A3.4 Monitoring with Alizarin;
• A3.5 Continuous monitoring of migration patterns through video surveillance at the fish passages.

WP4 Development of a cross-border conservation strategy for native salmonids

WP4 focuses on the production of fish stock for the restocking of the Sharesalmo area with trout and grayling specimens. Some of the trout and grayling produced and released are tagged for the monitoring purposes included in WP3. With WP4, the breeding facilities of the SVPS ASD partner are reinforced. The activities and experience of breeding and transfer of know-how are used to develop a shared cross-border conservation plan of the native grayling and trout.

WP4 activities:

• A4.1 Strengthening of the SVPS ASD breeding facilities;
• A4.2 Development of production and restocking best practices;
• A4.3 Round table for a cross-border conservation strategy for native salmonids.

WP5 Development of a cross-border strategy for the ecological regeneration of the hydrographic network in favour of native salmonids

The activities of this WP concern the main threats to the survival of native salmonids: the fragmentation of the river corridor and the spread of non-native invasive species (the Wels catfish in particular). WP5, therefore, consists of actions aimed at defragmenting the hydrographic network of the River Sesia and restricting the spread of the Wels catfish. The experience gained will lead to a cross-border strategy to combat the spread of the Wels catfish.

WP5 activities:

• A5.1 Strategic defragmentation work on the Sesia River;
• A5.2 Study on current and potential breeding areas of Wels catfish in the large pre-alpine lakes;
• A5.3 Experimentation of the most effective Wels catfish containment techniques in the large pre-alpine lakes;
• A5.4 Design and preparation of a selective Wels catfish surveillance system at the Creva fish passage on the River Tresa;
• A5.5 Round table for a cross-border strategy to combat the spread of the Wels catfish in the large pre-alpine lakes.

WP6 Promotion of eco-sustainable tourism

With WP6, the partners support the promotion of a well-informed and eco-sustainable tourist offer of the Sharesalmo area aimed at reaching different categories of recipients: sport and recreational fishermen, professional fishermen, local restaurateurs, local tourism promotion agencies, tourists, and the general public of all ages.

WP6 activities:

• A6.1 “Fish without borders” promotional video;
• A6.2 Creation of advertising material;
• A6.3 Design and implementation of a travelling installation entitled “Fish without borders”;
• A6.4 Event to promote eco-sustainable fishing tourism.