Animal welfare prize 2024

The Huchenfranz: His voice for the mute!

Franz Keppel creating spawning grounds

(Bild: Franz Keppel)

He is known as the "Huchenfranz", who fights with great passion for the survival of this fish species: Franz Keppel was honored this year with the animal welfare award from the state and the "Krone".

Two hearts must have been beating in the chest of Deputy Provincial Governor Anton Lang this time. On the one hand, he holds the scissors in his hand at the "ribbon cutting" of new Mur power plants. On the other hand, this man recently stood in front of him at the award ceremony for the Animal Protection Prize 2024; Franz Keppel, who fought for the survival of the Huchen with a fiery speech, pointing out the tiny habitat that this fish only has left - and that they want to take it away even further.

The Huchenfranz at the animal protection gala

(Bild: Land Steiermark)

The "Huchenfranz" captivated the gala guests with so much passion that quite a few of them would have liked to unpack the cramp and immediately lend a hand in creating spawning grounds themselves. Many people's eyes were opened for the first time: that a fish is a living being. It suffers silently, fights silently and doesn't stand a chance when the excavators roll in and the economy rules the world.

Ridiculously tiny habitat
There are only 5.6 kilometers north of Graz where the Huchen can find an intact habitat in the Mur. What a mockery that the loss of its habitat is due to such green hydropower of all things. "Nothing is left in its natural state there. Reservoirs are constantly being flushed. And this means that the substrate that the Huchen needs to spawn is 'concreted over'." This was also the reason for Franz Keppel to give his voice to the mute huchen many years ago. He observed how meter-long fish struggled to break up the substrate in order to spawn. As vehemently as unsuccessfully. Sad.

Majestic animal: The majestic huchen - which has no chance against excavators. .

(Bild: Franz Keppel)

Today, Franz Keppel breaks up the board-hard bed for them with a cramp - where they let him. At the mouth of the Rötschbach near Stübing, where the next Mur power plant is to be built, "but Verbund won't let me do any renaturation work there". The Huchen will be desperately digging for spawning grounds there. Another jewel in danger of disappearing once and for all.

"The problem is that people who have no idea are making decisions for everyone's future, for generations! They don't know what lives - and dies - under the surface of the water."

 You want to bring them together with Franz Keppel. After his flaming speeches, this "aha" insight into the interrelationships - perhaps decision-makers will also want to pick up the cramp. . .