Recommendation in the spotlight: Recommendation on the suitability of woody habitats as spawning grounds for fish
The city of Ghent received a complaint from anglers about the management of embankments along waterways. The complaint stated that woody growth on the banks hinders fish spawning and endangers the growth of young fish. Anglers asked for the growth to be removed. Before deciding whether or not to address this question, the city wants to know if this argument is valid. In this recommendation, we demonstrate the importance of woody structures along the banks of waterways: the structural diversity of the bank increases and this also benefits biodiversity, not only for fish populations but also for invertebrates and all organisms dependent on them in the food chain.
