As part of the DANUBElifelines project, a kick-off stakeholder workshop was held in Hungary – marking the start of a joint dialogue on riverine habitat restoration.
On October 29, 2025, the DANUBELifelines HORIZON project was presented at the HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute (BLKI) in Tihany, bringing together restoration initiatives targeting aquatic habitats across the Danube River Basin.
The opening meeting, co-organized with the Őrség National Park Directorate, aimed to introduce the international research program and to initiate collaboration among Hungarian stakeholders, including researchers, conservation experts, water management authorities, and fisheries professionals.

In his opening remarks, Zsolt V. Németh, State Secretary for Water Management, emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation in achieving sustainable water management, and praised the significance of the newly launched program. Following this, Tibor Erős, scientific advisor at BLKI and member of the project’s executive board, outlined the main objectives and tasks of DanubeLifelines.

A key focus of the program is the sustainable conservation of migratory fish populations, along with the assessment and improvement of river connectivity and habitat conditions through nature-based solutions.
The morning session addressed the restoration opportunities and challenges of the Hungarian target areas, including the Danube section between Gönyű and Budapest and the Rába River.

In the afternoon session, representatives of the Hungarian National Anglers’ Association (MOHOSZ) and its member organizations presented their fisheries management experiences and future plans related to the project areas.
The event concluded with a joint discussion on side arm and habitat-use preferences of the different stakeholder groups to support restoration planning, thereby launching a professional dialogue that aims to promote both the ecological restoration of the Danube and its tributaries and the sustainable use of water resources.