Ion ȘTEFANOVICI, President of CAPDR: “The Prut River is Becoming a Space of Living Cooperation: From Fish Restocking to Common Environmental Policies”
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At a time when the Region of Moldova and the Republic of Moldova are strengthening their mechanisms of practical cooperation, the fish restocking action carried out by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova in the Costești – Stânca area of the Prut River acquires a significance that goes beyond the specific dimension of an ecological intervention
It is an action that expresses a direction: the reconstruction of natural balance through committed, coherent interventions with long-term impact.
The Prut River, as a natural axis connecting Romania and the Republic of Moldova, provides the ideal framework for the development of common environmental policies, in which every intervention becomes part of a broader system of cross-border cooperation.
The Prut River – Natural Infrastructure for Cooperation
The Costești – Stânca area represents one of the most important hydrotechnical reservoirs along the course of the Prut River, playing an essential role in:
- flow regulation,
- energy production,
- supporting aquatic biodiversity.
Fish restocking interventions contribute directly to:
- the restoration of fish stocks,
- maintaining ecosystem balance,
- supporting local economic activities (fishing, tourism).
This approach reflects a modern vision of environmental management: natural resources are managed in an integrated manner, with respect for both their ecological and economic functions.
CAPDR and the Role of the Ștefănești Cross-Border Cooperation Center
CAPDR, through the Cross-Border Cooperation Center in Ștefănești, actively supports these initiatives and integrates them into a broader framework of regional action.
The direction is clear: transforming isolated interventions into joint, stable, and predictable programs capable of connecting institutions from Romania and the Republic of Moldova within a functional mechanism for the management of natural resources.
The Ștefănești Center thus becomes:
- a coordination platform,
- a space for institutional dialogue,
- an instrument for shaping joint projects.
Proposal: A “Mirror” Mechanism Between Romania and the Republic of Moldova
Following the action carried out at Costești – Stânca, CAPDR will propose to the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests the development of “mirror” interventions on the Romanian segment of the Prut River.
This approach aims at:
- synchronizing fish restocking actions,
- using common methodologies,
- the exchange of data and expertise between institutions,
- integrated monitoring of the aquatic ecosystem.
The intended result is the construction of a bilateral intervention framework in which the Prut River is treated as a unified ecosystem, managed in a coordinated manner by the two states.
From Isolated Actions to a Regional Environmental Policy
Fish restocking represents more than a technical action. It can become:
- a model of institutional cooperation,
- an example of replicable intervention,
- a link within a future regional environmental program.
In this regard, such initiatives can be integrated into the broader architecture of projects supported by CAPDR, including within the Sustainable Interconnection Program Romania – Moldova.
Conclusion
Through such interventions, the Prut River acquires a new dimension: it becomes a space of shared responsibility and coordinated action.
The action undertaken by the Ministry of Environment in Chișinău opens a clear path forward. A path where the environment, cooperation, and regional development converge toward a common objective: building a balanced, sustainable, and deeply interconnected future between the two banks of the Prut River.
