Society for the Protection of Prespa: 2023 impact

In 2023, the Society for the Protection of Prespa began the implementation of the “Pre-feasibility study for the rehabilitation of Agios Germanos stream”, consisting of hydro-geomorphological studies and active community engagement. The program aims at the rehabilitation of the stream that discharged into Lake Mikri Prespa in the past, expected to contribute to:

• Fish recruitment and fish population increases
• Improvement of the water quality of the Lake, helping:
  • Maintain its basic hydrology cycles and health
  • Adapt to climate change stresses

The first year of the program’s implementation

• 3,478 people were reached through social media posts
• The organization participated in the 5th European Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change: Riverine and Coastal wetlands (Bonn, Germany), where it exchanged ideas and shared insights with other scientists and organizations

The two Prespa lakes are famous for their nine (9) endemic fish species:

• Prespa trout
• Prespa barbel
• Prespa nase
• Prespa minnow
• Prespa loach
• Prespa spirlin
• Prespa chub
• Prespa bleak
• Prespa roach

The Agios Germanos stream used to discharge in the Lake Mikri Prespa, serving all endemic fishes’ spawning needs for centuries, before being blocked in the 1930s, dramatically affecting the spawning sites and the water quality.