Immagine news: 

During these weeks, the first hatching of fry of Mediterranean trout, native to the rivers of the Romagna side of Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi, took place at the Premilcuore hatchery (FC). In fact, in the first weeks of January 2020, the breeders of the Mediterranean stock were gradually strip in several sessions for the production of trout for the purpose of restocking the high Rabbi and the neighboring waterways (Montone and Bidente ). Following the strip, the eggs obtained from the females are combined to the sperm of the males. The fertilized eggs are kept for 15 minutes in the dark and then laid out waiting for hatching, which takes place after 5 weeks. Currently there are about 120 breeding animals in the plant, which prior to the first sowing, have undergone genetic analysis on a sample basis (20 specimens) to ascertain the presence of a high level of purity, which has been confirmed, for gene markers investigated, equal to 100%.

The strip are part of a LIFE project promoted by the Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi and conducted in technical-operational collaboration with the Meldola Ecology Museum, the Forlì FIPSAS section, the AICS Forlì fishing section, which aims to recover and increase the number of populations of Mediterranean trout in demographic decline, mainly because of the introduction of the Atlantic trout. The fragmented distribution of this species is also due to increased predatory pressure by ichthyophagous birds (cormorants) on fish fauna, alteration of habitats and illegal fishing.

The production of Mediterranean trout has followed an exponential trend in these 3 years of activity and in 2019 more than 15,000 individuals of the species have been produced, a number that is largely sufficient to cover the repopulation within the streams of the Romagna side of the park. This year, indicatively, a production of 35 thousand / 40 thousand eggs will be reached, with the prospect of a successful project.

Thanks to dr. De Paoli and the volunteers of the Fishing Associations who are fundamental in carrying out the restocking of the Mediterranean trout and the eradication of the exotic species.