Historic River Restoration Reconnects 44 Miles of Balkan Waterway
Photo: Leutrim Halili / Unsplash
Conservationists have successfully removed a decades-old concrete obstruction from the Pchinja River, allowing native fish to swim freely through a major Balkan waterway for the first time in generations. The removal project restored connectivity to more than half of the river's 80-mile route that flows through North Macedonia and Serbia. This restoration effort represents a significant victory for freshwater ecosystem recovery in the region.
Conservationists have successfully removed a decades-old concrete obstruction from the Pchinja River, allowing native fish to swim freely through a major Balkan waterway for the first time in generations. The removal project restored connectivity to more than half of the river’s 80-mile route that flows through North Macedonia and Serbia. This restoration effort represents a significant victory for freshwater ecosystem recovery in the region.