As boating advocates push to open the Neris River route between Vilnius and Kaunas, scientists are raising alarms about the potential environmental consequences, urging that the river be removed from Lithuania’s official list of navigable waterways.
Currently, the stretch of the Neris near Kaunas is home to ducks rather than boats, but enthusiasts envision a thriving recreational and tourism corridor linking the country’s two largest cities. The river route spans 175 kilometers and was added to the national inland waterways registry in 2001, though funding shortages have kept development plans on hold.
Karolis Valenta, president of the Recreational Boating Industry Association and head of LITBOAT, sees strong potential in the waterway. Demand for recreational boating is growing naturally, he argued: “There are real estate projects forming along the Neris, with piers designed for boating. Where there’s demand for boating, there’s demand for business.”
However, environmental experts, particularly from Vilnius University, are urging caution. Associate professor Laurynas Jukna said developing the waterway could threaten protected fish species such as the asp, Baltic salmon, and burbot. “Constructing a waterway would contribute to the degradation and loss of vital ecosystems,” he said.
Jukna argued that the Neris should be removed from the list of navigable rivers, with exceptions made only for short stretches within Vilnius and Kaunas. He supports limited navigation using flat-bottomed boats that do not require dredging or altering the riverbed.
“But invasive modifications and deepening the riverbed are unnecessary” and risk damaging both the ecosystem and the hydrographic heritage, Jukna said.
Vladimiras Vinokurovas, director of the Inland Waterways Directorate, acknowledged that current depths along the route average only 75 centimetres, requiring clearance of debris and obstacles. He estimated it would take five to seven years to prepare the river for boats, though the project lacks both funding and an environmental impact assessment.
Vytautas Magnus University professor Petras Punys said the potential for modern hydrotechnology to minimise environmental impact exists, but he remains sceptical about the economic feasibility of full-scale navigation.
“I don’t believe yachts could be cruising the Neris all the way to Vilnius – really impossible,” he said. “At least the first phase should aim for Jonava.”
Lithuania has nearly 900 kilometres of designated inland waterways, though only about 500 kilometres are currently in use.
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