Fish Monitoring in compliance the Water Framework Directive and Habitats Directive

The main environmental objective of the European Water Framework Directive is to achieve good surface and groundwater status in the various European water systems by 2015. Member States should make efforts and report on progress made. In particular, Member States are obliged to develop and implement specific ecological monitoring for surface waters. In addition, the Natura 2000 species in Flanders must also be monitored in all of Flanders in application of the EU Habitats Directive. The fish monitoring network collects annually the necessary data to meet both European reporting requirements.