Assessing and enhancing ecosystem services provided by diadromous fish in a climate change context (DiadES)

DiadES aims to assess and enhance ecosystem services provided by diadromous fish in the Atlantic Area, and in parallel, the conservation status of these species, by explicitly considering in their management expected impacts of climate change on their distributions. 

Diadromous fish (shads, lampreys, eel, salmon, trout & mullet) are migratory, moving between fresh and marine waters. Through their journey, diadromous fish provide ecosystem services (e.g. income, food, recreation) to local communities but few quantitative estimates exist. These services could be threatened by climate change due to spatial reallocation of fish and related benefits.

Building on previous EU-funded projects and monitoring programmes, DiadES will positively impact diadromous fish management in the face of global climate change by:

• fostering the necessary level of cooperation among Member States (MS) & actors involved in diadromous fish management to enable sound decision-making;
  
• improving awareness and knowledge among policy makers and other key stakeholders on the services provided by these species and the need to set common management measures targeting both anthropogenic pressures & climate change;
  
• favouring a joint promotion of ecosystem services related to diadromous fish in the Atlantic Area to the wider public because they influence decision-making; 
  
• ensuring a sustainable ecosystem services provision by these species, combining exploitation & conservation, in support of Atlantic Area local economies and quality of life.