Freshwater biology experts sought in France and/or EU

Hi all.
First of all Happy New Year to all of you.  
But then, the business.  
I am looking for scientific support for my project.  Presentation attached.  Presentation is in French, s the project is in France and it is primarily aimed at Francophone audience, but I think it is pretty self-explanatory.  Basically I want to renovate one old fish farm and convert it in sustainable natural fish farm - trout at that.  I want to develop the natural food chain in the basins and let the fish help themselves when they are hungry.  There will be other products such as aquatic plants - edible ones, or decorative, or oxygenating...
What I am looking for is people who know a LOT about the aquatic life in European rivers, who know what makes a river tick nicely, because in essence I want to emulate what is happening in rivers naturally, only a bit more concentrated.  I want to use the project as a learning place too, for al who care to learn.
The basins are in pretty bad condition and will need to be renovated, but the good knew is that I already have the license so some things are already in place.
Please could you share and send the presentation around to all who may wish to see it, so that we all together can get it off the ground.
At first, the project being new, I will not be able to pay anybody much, but with time, who knows...
Looking forward to your comments, ideas, thoughts....
Many, many thanks.
Ivana

Since you are wanting to grow trout, locating some fly fishermen would be a boon to your project. They will know the aquatic life that you will need to have since those animals and insects are the fish food.

Things like Mayflies, Stone flies, grasshoppers, frogs, mice, leeches, fish fry, caddis flies, dragonflies, and all their larve are prime trout foods.

You should be able to locate scientific knowledge at universities.

Redhawk

Hi.  Thanks for the message.  

Since I posted the original message I have had one or two little signposts as to where the knowledge may be and which door to lock on in order to access it.  

Univesities would be a good place, but ... they do what they have a budget for.  As I cannot (at present) offer them any monetary reward, they will most probably not be interested and in fact those whom I have written to have not replied - which is an answer in itself.  

Another thing that I find is that 'experts' are generally not interested in natural solutions, they believe, instead, in high tech, innovation, involving lots of machinery, instruments, complex technology, chemicals.  This makes sense too, as if we do have natural solutions, then what do we need the experts for... In order to stay in business, they have to keep inventing something other than nature.  And my interests are in nature...

I did have one or two positive responses, though, from young people who seemed very keen, and who are (I think) qualified and able to get involved in a project  because they are interested and for no other immediate reward.  It takes a vision, as we know.  It takes a lot of other things as well, of course.  There were one or to other leads as well, so, things look a bit closer to reality than they did some time ago.

Once it is up and running will let you all know...

Until then, take care and be happy

Ivana

You might also check the library it might surprise you if you look for stream or lake restoration or even just trout habitat

Universities aren't just about professors, their book stores might have a text book that would fit your project.

Redhawk

Hi.  Thank you for your reply.  

You rightly suggest books as source of information and I already have a few... Univesity libraries are, as far as I know, only open to students - you need to have a student card to get in.  The reason I posted the initial message was because I was hoping for some real people with whom I could exchange ideas, experiences and such like.  But if they don't turn up at the veyr start of the project, it doesn't mean that they won't turn up later when things get more interesting.

I spent a lot of time and energy trying to find people who could help, and in the end gave up as it seemed to demand too much effort to almost no reward.  People who have some knowledge, or claim to have it, expect to be paid for it.  I don't blame them, that is the name of the game, but am not in a position to play that game right now.  

However, what gave me thumbs up and encouraged me to launch myself into it was... one day it rained and there were small puddles of water on the ground.  Within perhaps an hour of rain stopping, the water striders appeared on the water surface.  That gave me a little ah-ha moment: it is my job to provide environment and the creatures will be there without me having to bring them.  They will know and they will come.  So now my thinking is - just provide food and shelter and wait and listen and watch and learn.  I think  people will come to see as well in much the same way.

I am in a fundraising stage of a project as infrastructure needs some repairs, gates need replacing, some equipement will need to be bought.  Hoping to start on repairs maybe in August or September, and then next year we shall be all set up for welcoming the first residents... Or maybe even in the autumn of this year. After the leaves have come down we can, maybe, welcome the first detritivores who will in the future nourish the young trout at that time of year.

Thanks for your thoughts, though...

Wishing everybody a happy spring

Ivana