Soca river is an amazing ecosystem of various kinds of plant life and different animal species, such as for example one of Slovenia’s most symbolic animals, the Soca trout. As the priority is to preserve the nature of the most beautiful river in Slovenia, any kind of intervention into the natural scenery should be openly questioned. A number of extreme sports that take place on the river thus raise a collection of environmental issues. Soca river (Slovenia) kayaking and Soca rafting (Slovenia) are continuously subjected to discussions about their impact on the wildlife of the notorious river. While some experts claim that Soca river (Slovenia) kayaking and Soca rafting (Slovenia) are entirely non-invasive and non-threatening to the river species, others disagree. The direct impact of such activities on the river creatures is questionable, but many indirect consequences can undoubtedly occur. An example of that is garbage from tourists which unavoidably appears near the renting places and sports clubs that offer the opportunity to try Soca river (Slovenia) kayaking and Soca rafting (Slovenia). While garbage disposal on the premises is strongly discouraged and often attempted to be prevented with the use of garbage cans, a percent of trash, however small, still ends up near the river or in the river. While the majority of rafts and kayaks will not directly hurt any kind of fish, a wild vessel racing through the water and a number of screaming enthusiasts will certainly disturb them. In addition to that, shallow parts of the river often contain spawn of the fish which can be hurt by paddling. These subtle effects of human intervention might not be catastrophic, but should surely be taken into consideration when thinking about minimizing environmental concerns and lowering the impact on the environment.
