Population ecology, conservation and restoration of the Barbel, Barbus barbus (LINNE) (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) in the Meuse River and its tributaries. Fifteen years of research

peer reviewedThis paper describes in short the successives steps of a fifteen years (started in 1971) investigation into the population ecology, conservation and fishery management of Barbus barbus in the Belgian Meuse River basin : 1) basic research on population dynamics in the undisturbed Ourthe River, 2) geographical distribution, habitat and population status (normal, in regression, disappeared) in Belgian fresh waters, 3) artificial reproduction and mass rearing of fry and fingerlings for experimental restocking purposes and 4) ecological study of the artificially restored and enhanced populations. First results are given showing a successfull restoration of B. barbus in the Mehaigne River in September 1985