Vilnius mayor dismisses environmental concerns over Neris riverbed dredging plans

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has sought to reassure environmental activists that planned dredging work on the Neris River will not cause ecological damage, following protests over potential harm to fish spawning grounds and river ecosystems, reports LRT.

The city’s project aims to remove sediment and deepen sections of the riverbed between Vingis Park and Valakampiai to expand water transport, create new docking points for businesses and tourism, and improve public access to the riverbanks. But green groups, including the Lithuanian Green Party, have warned that dredging could destroy gravel substrates critical for trout spawning and disrupt invertebrate communities that form the base of the river’s food chain.

“Let me reassure everyone—there will absolutely be no catastrophes here. I personally will not allow it,” Benkunskas told ELTA. He stressed that routine bank maintenance is ongoing and that no continuous channel deepening is planned. “The idea that we’re planning some kind of full-length riverbed extension—that’s simply not true. We’re only targeting specific spots where obstructions hinder navigation.”

Adomas Bužinskas, director of the Vilnius city administration, echoed the mayor’s stance, clarifying that only 12 silted areas will be cleared to ensure safe passage for boats. “We’re not planning any continuous dredging along the entire river,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that work will proceed only after scientific assessments confirm no significant environmental impact.

Environmentalists have demanded a full impact study, noting that parts of the Neris fall under the EU’s Natura 2000 protected area network. The Green Party’s deputy chair, Laurynas Okockis, previously warned that unrecorded trout spawning sites exist in the stretch and could be damaged by excavation. Protesters, including the Fridays for Future climate movement, gathered in Europe Square on Friday to oppose the project.

Bužinskas countered accusations that the city was rushing the work without oversight. “All these tensions arise from the assumption that we’re acting recklessly, bulldozing without care. In reality, we’ve extended deadlines precisely to evaluate the environmental effects thoroughly,” he said. “If there’s distrust in independent experts, that’s beyond our authority to address.”