About the project

Project “MEMOFISH - memory and future. Stories about the Danube Civilization“

The problems

The natural resources along the Danube River are being exploited in a destructive manner, which is becoming a threat to the entire ecosystem of the river. However, there are good examples too: Bulgarian and Romanian fisheries communities, which have preserved their rich cultural heritage, skillfully combine the use of available resources for their livelihoods with environmental protection.

To overcome the seeming contradiction between protecting the ecosystems and the economic needs of populations along the river, the MEMOFISH partners focus on exploring the heritage of cross-border fisheries communities and promoting their practices as an example of conservation of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem..

The activities

The project activities are aimed at 10 settlements in the cross-border region with preserved traditions of the fishing communities. They are united by their territorial proximity into 5 pairs:

• Silistra (Tataritsa) – Calarasi

• Vetren (Srebarna) - Mostistea Galatui
• Tutrakan – Oltenita
• Ruse (Brashlen) – Giurgiu
• Vidin (Kutovo, Antimovo) – Calafat

One of the main project activities is an anthropological field study, the results of which - photographs, films, videos and interviews with fishermen from Bulgaria and Romania - have been published online. The materials can be used freely by future researchers, by travel agencies or by people interested in the natural and historical heritage of the Danube Region.

In order to demonstrate that economic profits can go hand in hand with protecting the traditions and protecting the environment, partners also apply strategic planning techniques, to which people and organizations in the region are attracted. The five pairs of settlements are the subject of cross-border planning, focusing on the use of the fisheries heritage in economic development approaches.

The project includes two more strategic documents covering the whole Romania-Bulgaria cross-border area:

• „A common policy for the conservation, development and utilization of the heritage of fisheries communities“
• „Culture matters - cross-border cooperation for the management of cultural heritage“

Together with strategic planning, the partners create new tourism products that include settlements on both sides of the river. They are developed in variants for large groups, youths or family tourism, combining, according to the interests of the visitors, various offers for cultural sites, attractions, places for accommodation and eating, transport. The materials from the anthropological field study are used in this process. For the promotion of each route, promotional trips are organized in the cross-border region.

Period of implementation

01.08.2018 - 31.01.2020

Financing

The project is being implemented within the framework of the Interreg V-A Romania - Bulgaria Program

498 731.45 euro overall budget, out of which:

• 423 921.71 euro - contribution from the European Regional Development Fund
• 66 201.38 euro - contribution from the national budgets of Bulgaria and Romania
• 8 608.36 euro - contribution from the partners

Partners

• Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Lead partner

• NGO „Parallel Silistra“

• Regional Historical Museum Ruse

• Association „Access“ Calarasi

• Local fishing initiative group „Dunarea Calaraseana"