Project Helsingor Danemark

A partnership aiming to assess the efficacy of the Biohut artificial fish nursery in the port of Helsingør

Helsingør is the first Danish port to use Biohuts for the restoration of the habitats needed by young fishes to grow safely. The port is located in the North of the Øresund strait. This rich channel, between the Baltic and the North Sea, has been impacted by years of intense trawl fishing and that is now recovering slowly. A partnership between the Øresund Aquarium and ECOCEAN has been initiated to set up restoration actions in the port. This aquarium is managed by the Copenhagen University and aims to present local fish species to the public and to promote their protection.

In 2017, ECOCEAN provided and installed 4 Biohuts in the Marina and the Commercial port. The 4 structures have been monitored during more than a year by the scientists from Copenhagen University. The results are impressive and the richness of the observed species can compete with Mediterranean biodiversity ! About 900 fish from 12 different species have been counted, with up to 90 individuals from 11 species at the same time in one single Biohut ! These very promising results have been presented to several scientific congresses like the Driver congress in Hyères or the DHM in Denmark. Juveniles of species like the Cod, the Saithe or the Pollock have been observed several times inside the Biohut; good news for these species that have been targeted by trawling since many years in Helsingør !

ECOCEAN now works towards the development of a broader project in this beautiful Danish port, in order to have a positive impact on the whole port . The advantage of the Biohut is that they will as well allow visitors from the aquarium to observe the species using this type of habitat, and to understand what kind of ecological measures it is possible to set up in a port like Helsingør. This successful initiative can also give some ideas to other Danish ports.