This summer, the LIFE RESQUE ALPYR project participated in the production of two new videos that bring their efforts to preserve high-mountain aquatic ecosystems in the Pyrenees to a wider audience. Filming took place on June 25, 2024, in Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, featuring Dr. Dirk S. Schmeller, a conservation biology expert with over ten years of experience in the French Pyrenees, and Dr. Marc Ventura, coordinator of the project.

The first video, titled “How to Eradicate Fish from High-Mountain Lakes,” presents the project’s main goals, focusing on the conservation and restoration of these lake ecosystems. High-mountain lakes are traditionally isolated from valley rivers by natural barriers that prevent the arrival of fish. However, many of these lakes now host fish species introduced through historical interventions, which have disrupted the natural ecological balance. These introduced species have become invasive, negatively affecting native fauna and the ecological quality of the habitat.

The video also highlights the collaboration with the FishME project, which uses a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the impact of fish and pollution, and to develop practical tools for managing and restoring mountain lakes.

In the second video, “Mountain Lake Rewilding Works!” Dr. Ventura explains how, after removing the introduced fish species, the original fauna of these lakes begins to recover. This rewilding has led to the return of native species, especially amphibians and macroinvertebrates, and has facilitated the recolonization of small mammals such as the Pyrenean desman, a rodent that relies on aquatic insects for food.

These videos emphasize the importance of conserving and restoring mountain ecosystems and demonstrate essential tools for effective, evidence-based management of these unique natural environments.