On July 21, 2017, one of the biggest river events in Europe – the Drina Regatta – took place at the Drina River near Bajina Basta in Serbia. About 20,000 people took to boats, rafts and traditional wooden floats and went down this beautiful river. At this year’s event, NGOs in cooperation with angling (fishing) associations protested against hydropower plans for the first time in the 24-year history of the regatta.
The Drina is the most important lifeline for the Huchen (Hucho hucho) – a globally threatened fish species, which can grow up to 1.8 m in length and is particularly vulnerable to dam construction. Nevertheless, the Drina is at risk from nine planned dams, including the large Buk Bijela project.
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![Blaues Herz Team (Ulrich Eichelmann und Cornelia Wieser von Riverwatch) protestiert auf der Drina Regatta im Namen des Huchen gegen geplante Staudämme. © Nataša Crnković Blue Heart Team (Ulrich Eichelmann and Cornelia Wieser from Riverwatch) at the Drina Regatta, protesting dam projects in the name of the threatened Huchen. © Nataša Crnković](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/1_IMG_20170722_103044_1.jpg?itok=ASCPd93o)
![Größter Fluss-Event in Europa: 20.000 Menschen nahmen an der diesjährigen Drina Regatta teil, die unterhalb des 90 Meter hohen Bajina Basta Staudammes startete. @ Dušan Mićić Biggest river related event in Europe: 20,000 people participated in this year’s Drina Regatta, starting below the Bajina Basta dam which is 90 meters in height © Dušan Mićić](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/2_Drina_Regatta%28c%29DusanMicic.jpg?itok=8k_PwEJo)
![Naturschutzgruppen und Angelverbände nutzten die Drina Regatta erstmals um gegen geplante Staudämme zu protestieren. In großen Buchstaben trieb der Slogan “Sačuvajmo Drinu, zaustavimo brane!” („Rettet die Drina, stoppt die Staudämme!”) den Fluss hinab. @ Dušan Mićić For the first time, environmental groups and angling associations used the Drina Regatta to protest against the dam plans. The slogan “Čuvajmo Drinu, zaustavimo brane!” („Save the Drina, stop the dams“) was floating down the river. © Dušan Mićić](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/3_FloatingSlogan%28c%29Dusan_Micic.jpg?itok=7hyWbeuQ)
![Huchen Protest auf der Drina Regatta. Die Drina ist der wichtigste Fluss für diese global bedrohte Fischart. Dennoch sind hier neun Staudämme geplant © Aleksandar Skoric Huchen protest at the Drina Regatta. The Drina is the most important river for this globally threatened species, but dam projects are putting them at risk © Aleksandar Skoric](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/4_HuchenProtest%28c%29AleksandarSkoric.jpg?itok=ROvdWrcL)
![Der 90m hohe Bajina Basta Staudamm. © Nataša Crnković Bajina Basta dam, 90 meters in height. © Nataša Crnković](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/5_IMG_20170722_105559_2.jpg?itok=7-VWP9dH)
![Riverwatch Geschäftsführer Ulrich Eichelmann und seine Liebe zum Huchen © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch Riverwatch CEO Ulrich Eichelmann has love for the Huchen © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/7_IMG_20170722_102830.jpg?itok=8TUBzezr)
![Blaues Herz Partnerin Jelena Ivanić, Center for Environment © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch Blue Heart partner Jelena Ivanić, Center for Environment © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/8_IMG_20170722_102211.jpg?itok=OCuCpQUh)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/9_IMG_20170722_102330.jpg?itok=yHJKuJzs)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/10_IMG_20170722_100804.jpg?itok=PVwj-mzk)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/12_IMG_20170722_084920.jpg?itok=7jF9M4b4)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/14_IMG_20170722_103019.jpg?itok=RWIdwbrP)
![Cornelia Wieser von Riverwatch © Nataša Crnković Cornelia Wieser from Riverwatch © Nataša Crnković](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/15_IMG_20170722_103119_1.jpg?itok=lcdgsKnZ)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/16_IMG_20170722_102117.jpg?itok=4qMmZnxf)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/19_IMG_20170722_112749.jpg?itok=QZYCbCph)
![Ulrich Eichelmann und Cornelia Wieser von Riverwatch© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch Ulrich Eichelmann and Cornelia Wieser from Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/20_IMG_20170722_112927.jpg?itok=dcFmGy_t)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/21_IMG_20170722_113104.jpg?itok=sR5YIKx1)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/22_IMG_20170722_113129_1.jpg?itok=rVGLVqbl)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/24_IMG_20170722_161107.jpg?itok=i52yq7wf)
![© Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch © Cornelia Wieser/Riverwatch](https://riverwatch.eu/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/Drina/DrinaRegatta0717/25_IMG_20170722_161111.jpg?itok=J9RODHVF)