Four projects for the construction of fish ladders received support

21 March 2011

The Environmental Investments Centre finished the assessment of applications aimed at the improvement of the condition of flowing water bodies and made the decision to finance four projects to the total amount of 2.55 million Euros. The projects financed from the European Union Cohesion Fund include the construction of fish ladders in Põltsamaa City, at the Kunda Cement Factory, by the Vastse-Roosa barrage and the Linnamäe Power Plant. The next application round will be announced in May.

"Although we originally received 12 applications, with the financing applied for considerably exceeding the budget of the round, only four applications passed the assessment process," said Project Coordinator Ööle Janson. "The reasons for the rest of the projects not being granted financing primarily include concerns related to environmental impact assessments or state aid and the incompatibility of the planned activities with the objective of the measure, which was, above all, the construction of fish ladders."

One of the applications financed is a project by non-profit association Vastse-Roosa Village Society, which includes the construction of a 140-metre fish ladder by the dam on the old Vastse-Roosa water mill. The Vastse-Roosa dam on the River Vaidva is about 100 metres long and consists of a soil barrage reinforced by a quarrystone masonry and a 13 metre wide spillway. The fish ladder to be constructed is a bypass type of a ladder, i.e. a naturally-appearing artificial riverbed with a small inclination which directs fish around the dam.

The foundation Environmental Investments Centre (EIC) founded in May 2000 is the main mediator of environmental assistance and investments. EIC channels the proceeds from the exploitation of the environment into the development of environmental projects, acts as the implementing agency for the environmental projects funded by the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) and acts as the implementing agency for the Green Investment Scheme (selling the excess CO2 quota and mediating support). EIC also offers the option to apply for loans for the development of environmental projects.