The SHOAL is the global ecosystem of partners and collaborators who work together to safeguard the health of Earth's freshwater habitats and conserve the most threatened freshwater species. As with a shoal of fish, the strength of the SHOAL lies with the number of partners all working together.
Blueprint for Conservation Action for 1,000 Freshwater Fishes
SHOAL's flagship initiative sets out a plan for how significant collaborative conservation effort can lift freshwater fishes and potentially thousands of other neglected freshwater species to a new elevated platform of conservation attention and greatly enhance freshwater conservation efforts globally.
In March this year, Shoal initiated a workshop with partners and experts to initiate immediate conservation action for one the most threatened group of fish species in the world.
Most of us are now familiar with forest fires in Southeast Asia. We have seen disturbing images of orangutans desperately looking for a haven to flee to and seen cities, like Singapore, choking on smoke drifting in from the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia. In most cases, these fires are burning ancient deep lowland peat swamp forests and many are derived from land clearance for crops such as palm oil. But what is often overlooked is that this destructive land clearance is driving a set of fish species rapidly towards extinction.
Peat swamp fishes are also known broadly as blackwater fishes. This refers to the dark tea coloured water that flows through peat swamps. These highly acidic and nutrient poor streams support a unique set of species adapted to these specialised conditions. The fishes are often small and intensely beautiful. Those with startling colours has led to a great deal of popularity with aquarium hobbyists such as the genera Betta, Parosphromenus, and Rasbora. These peat swamp fishes are now one of the most threatened group of fishes in Southeast Asia.
In fact, conservation attention to this group of fishes has been raised recently by some concerned aquarists. The Parosphromenus Project, originating in Germany, is an initiative led by aquarists that keep and breed this amazing genus. Set up originally to share knowledge on how to keep these species, the Project became more focused on ensuring a robust collection of species in their homes but also helping to secure the species in the wild.
More recently, the IUCN Asian Species Action Programme with Singapore Zoo (Wildlife Reserves Singapore) have been drumming up action for the most threatened (those categorised as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List) species of fishes in Southeast Asia. Shoal is now helping these partners to create an action plan and it has simultaneously been decided to initiate immediate conservation action for the peat swamp species already recognised as an urgent priority.
Sampling at North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest Reserve with the Global Environment Centre team and experts in peat swamp fishes.
Despite the work of the Parosphromenus Project and a small number of taxonomists, new species are being added to the Parosphromenus genus and their status, along with many other of peat swamp fishes is still poorly understood.
Only about 7mm in length Paedocypris progenetica is one good example of this. Discovered in 1996 in a peat swamp in Sumatra, it is the world’s smallest fish, in fact the world’s smallest vertebrate. Since this remarkable discovery a number of other new species of this genera have been found and more are waiting to be described. They were probably overlooked as fry until a pregnant female indicated that this was the really its fully mature size.
On 5 and 6 February 2020, a group of experts met in Malaysia to draw up an action plan for endangered peat swamp fishes in Malaysia. The meeting was hosted by Monash University Malaysia (MUM) and Global Environment Centre (GEC), facilitated by Mike Baltzer from Shoal. It included Wentian Shi from the Parosphromenus Project and other experts such as Dr Casey Ng, Amiruddin Ahmad and Ella Michael Dosi and Mohamad Sufiyan bin Salmi from the Malaysian Ministry of Fisheries. The meeting was rapidly pulled together with limited funding and just as the outbreak of coronavirus was known. Support was provided by Wildlife Reserves Singapore and most of the participants covered their own time and costs to attend the meeting.
On Day One, the group met at the Global Environment Centre field office at the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest Reserve (NSPSFR) and was briefed by their CEO, Faizal Parish and his team. On day two, a workshop was held at the MUM campus in Selangor led by Dr Holly Barclay to gather the information and devise a plan.
During the workshop, the experts discussed which species should be considered as conservation priorities and peat swamp specialists, the location of the habitats these species rely on and the actions required to save them from extinction. A plan has been drafted and will be worked on further as more information is obtained. The next step is to design and fund the most urgent projects. Three areas, including a section of forest adjacent to the NSPSFR but threatened by oil palm expansion, were identified as the highest priorities for urgent action. The team also noted that more information is required on the status and distribution of peat swamps and threatened species in Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo). The participants also agreed to form a working group and aim to discuss and meet regularly to update the action plan and most critically to initiate action. Experts and interested parties are invited to join the group.
It is hoped to undertake a similar process for peat swamp species in Indonesia as soon as possible.
For further information, please contact Mike Baltzer at Shoal mike@shoal.org.uk
Sampling at North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest Reserve, Parosphromenus alfredi (Haji Banaruddin) and the workshop at Monash University Malaysia
Shoal is excited to announce a new partnership with world renowned aquatics brand Fluval, a division of Rolf C. Hagen Inc. We will be working with Fluval to raise the profile of freshwater species conservation in the aquatics sector, helping more aquarium hobbyists to become engaged in conserving the species they love in the wild. To learn more about the partnership, Join The Shoal, our new online platform, or like Fluval on Facebook.
Post Overview
Merlin
January 27th 2020
Conservation, Stories
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Catching up with Local Action Partner C3 Philippines
At the end of 2019, buried in other news stories and festive cheer, there was one story which struck a sombre note, the scientific confirmation of the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius). In truth, the fate of the Chinese paddlefish has been sealed for a short-while, the changes to its habitat and fishing pressures providing an insurmountable barrier. Now the American paddlefish stands alone at the end of this evolutionary branch of fishes which first took root in the Jurassic period more than 200 million years ago.
While we should lament the loss of the paddlefish, we must also learn the lessons from its extinction and work towards making a difference for those fishes for which there is still time. In this article, we take a look at five species which are where the Chinese paddlefish was 20-30 years ago, clinging on, but in need of urgent conservation action.
While each of these stories strikes a sombre note in many respects – it should also be seen as a cause for optimism. For all of these species something can be done, it is not too late to take action to save them. There is a crucial window of opportunity, and many passionate people around the working towards seizing it, for these and many other freshwater species – unfortunately there was no shortage of candidates for this list. By working together, fish lovers around the world can make a difference to their fate and shift these species away from extinction. Shoal has been founded to help make this happen.
1. Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii):
Range: Northern Italy, former range includes Croatia,
Estimated remaining population: 0 – 250. It is possible that the species is no longer reproducing in the wild.
Population trend: Decreasing
Captive Population: Yes, the species is being stocked in the Po River Basin.
IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered
(c) PhotoLanda
The Adriatic sturgeon is endemic to the rivers of northern Italy and the Balkans and the coastal waters of the North-Eastern Mediterranean. Like the Chinese paddlefish, the Adriatic sturgeon has an ancient lineage, its ancestors survived the mass extinction event which saw the end of the dinosaurs and they have roamed rivers across North America, Europe and Asia for millennia. 85% of sturgeon species are assessed as threatened with extinction, making them the most endangered species group in the world on the IUCN Red List.
The Adriatic Sturgeon is now believed to only survive in the Po River and its tributaries in Northern Italy. There is no certainty that the population here is still spawning either, or the most optimistic assessments is that there are less than 250 individuals in this population. Unlike the Chinese paddlefish however, the Adriatic Sturgeon has been bred in captivity, meaning that its populations can be stocked and even reintroduced in areas such as Croatia, Albania which were once strongholds for these species. However, for this to happen the habitats which the sturgeon relied upon need to be restored. Instead, current trends in the Balkan states are seeing an increasing number of rivers dammed, depriving the Adriatic Sturgeon of additional habitats where populations could be revived.
The recently agreed European Sturgeon Conservation Strategy brings hope of coordinated, pan-European action to save species such as the Adriatic sturgeon. It has been agreed by the EU and 50 European states and is legally binding under the Bern Convention.
2. Sahara Killifish (Aphanius saourensis)
Range: Endemic to the Oued Saoura Basin, Algeria
Estimated remaining population: Unknown, likely extinct in the wild.
Population trend: Unknown
Captive population: Yes
IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered
(c) Jorg Freyhof
The Sahara is perhaps the last place on Earth you would expect to find a freshwater fish. Freshwater is the scarcest of resources here, but killifish are an ingenious genus adapted to survive even when they are, almost literally, a fish out of water. Yet for the Sahara killifish, a tiny fish measuring just 4cm in length, a combination of pollution and invasive species may have proved too much. Extensive surveys of its previous known habitats in 2013 failed to locate any killifish. At the sites where they were clinging on in 2003 the only fishes found are invasive mosquitofish and tilapia – their presence and abundance almost certainly contributory factors in the decline of the Sahara killifish.
Fortunately, there is a small captive population of this species, another example of hobbyists’ collections becoming a vital ex-situ reserve which could allow a species to evade extinction and return to the wild.
However, for the Sahara killifish to return to the wild, urgent conservation of its habitats will be required. Many of these habitats have now shrunk considerably due to over extraction of their precious water resources, pollution, and the aforementioned introduction of invasive species. Across North Africa there are in fact a number of species, such as the footless killifish (Aphanius apodus) and the giant Atlas barbel (Labeobarbus reinii) which are estimated to also be on the brink of extinction. Urgent conservation attention is needed in this region if these species are to be saved, and with them some of the Sahara’s most valuable freshwater habitats.
3. Hump-backed mahseer (Tor remadevii):
Range: Endemic to the Cauvery river basin, in Southern India
Estimated remaining population: Unknown
Population trend: Decreasing
Captive population? No
IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered
(c) John Bailey
Qualifying as freshwater megafauna, the iconic hump-backed mahseer is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Hump-backs are only found in the Cauvery River system in southern India and were first popularised in the late 19th century by British officers who considered mahseer angling to present a superior sporting challenge to shooting big game. Following Indian independence in 1946, many believed the mahseer had gone extinct, until a new era of conservation minded catch-and-release anglers reignited a global interest in these fish.
However, in 2014 following analysis of data from the catch and release angling camps which had sprung up along the river, Dr. Adrian Pinder of the Mahseer Trust and Bournemouth University in collaboration with Indian colleagues made a startling discovery. He identified that the mahseer being caught along the Cauvery River were actually two separate species, and that the population of the orange finned mahseer – the hump-back, was declining fast while the blue fins were increasing. Further research revealed that the blue-finned fish was not native to the Cauvery and had been released into the river basin in the 1990s. It appeared that it had out-competed the native hump-back, which is now restricted to just 5% of its original range in one tributary of the Cauvery, the Moyar River. Ironically, it is a dam which has protected this remaining population of hump-backed mahseer.
The Moyar River is set in the stunningly beautiful location of the Nilgiri mountains. The area is home to one of the largest remaining populations of Asian elephant and falls between three highly important tiger reserves. A project to save ‘the tiger of the water’ as the fish is known locally is being initiated engaging research institutes, the local government and conservation NGOs to better understand the species’ conservation status and to begin priority conservation actions to reverse the decline in their population. Saving this species is one of Shoal’s initial flagship projects and an urgent priority for 2020.
4. Butterfly splitfin (Amenca splendens)
Range: Endemic to Mexico, specifically the
Estimated remaining population: Unknown
Population trend: Decreasing
Captive population? Yes, although it is declining as the butterfly splitfin has become less popular within the ornamental hobby.
IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered, previously assessed as Extinct in the Wild
(c) Josh More
The butterfly splitfin is part of the goodeid family, a group of small fishes found in Mexico and the United States. Goodeids tend to occupy springs and small creeks and give birth to live young. They are slightly more modest relatives of the guppies, and also popular with aquarium hobbyists around the world. In the wild, goodeids are threatened predominately by habitat loss and pollution, with intensive agriculture leading to shifting ecological conditions in their habitats, most acutely, a decline in available oxygen.
The butterfly splitfin is one of the rarest goodeids, and until recently it was thought to have already become extinct in the wild. However, a remnant population has been found to persist in El Rincón Waterpark near the town of Amenca, which is built around one of its original springs. This proves that you never quite know where a species might turn up. Yet with the species surviving in just this one, popular location, there is an urgent need for further conservation action to prevent its extinction in the wild.
There is hope however that this species can be saved. Its closest relative, the Tequila splitfin (named, like the drink, after a region of Mexico) was also classified as Critically Endangered until recent action was taken to protect it. Michoacán University brought this fish back to its original habitat through a reintroduction programme which included working with local people. There is now a small but growing wild population, and significant potential that this approach could be replicated for the butterfly splitfin and for other goodeids across Mexico. Hobbyists are also an important part of the effort to save these species. The Goodeid Working Group is working with zoos and aquariums in Europe and North America as well as institutions in North America to ensure healthy captive populations of species which are threatened in the wild to allow further reintroduction efforts in the future. You can read more about their work here.
Range: Endemic to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the Shire River
Estimated remaining population: Unknown
Population trend: Decreasing
Captive population? No
IUCN Red List Category: Critically Endangered
(c) Alexandra Tyers
In truth, Chambo is a catch-all term for three species of Tilapia which are found in Lake Malawi and some its tributary rivers and satellite lakes. They are maternal mouthbrooders, meaning that the mother lays her eggs and then allows the juveniles to develop in her mouth until they are a few weeks old and can forage independently. In these first few weeks however they will return to the safety of their mother’s mouth at a sign of danger, such as the arrival of a predatory species.
For many years they have been at the centre of the food security of thousands of people living on the lake’s shores. They are central to the country’s culture. However, since the beginning of the 1990s, all three species have undergone a dramatic and drastic decline. The IUCN’s Freshwater Biodiversity Unit estimates that between 1994 and 2004 populations crashed by 70%. Overfishing has been cited as the key driver for this decline, with nets with smaller and smaller mesh being used to harvest smaller and smaller fish.
It is feared that Oreochromis lidole, may have already become extinct, while Oreochromis squamipinnis populations declined a further 96% between 2006 and 2016 while in the same time period Oreochromis karongae declined is estimated to have declined by 94%. Unlike the paddlefish however, there is still time to save at least two of the three Chambo species. Organisations such as Ripple Africa are working alongside the Government’s fishery department to implement a licensing system and to prevent harmful fishing practices such as using fine mesh nets which remove young fish and damage eggs. Conserving the iconic Chambo could also have knock-on benefits for many of the other cichlid species in Lake Malawi, both through reducing fishing pressures on these species and through the creation of protected zones and improved fishing practices.
Post Overview
Merlin
January 20th 2020
Conservation, Fish, Stories
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Kathy is a Freshwater Specialist with experience from across Asia, Africa and Europe. She visited Ambon to see its awesome anguillids on holiday earlier this year.
When people think about the world’s most threatened animals, it’s unlikely that Anguillid (freshwater) eels spring to mind. In Europe, freshwater eels are one of our least appreciated but most critically endangered species, having declined by around 95% since the 1980s. Unlike most people, as a freshwater ecologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about animals like the freshwater eel because globally, all freshwater species are facing considerable threats. In fact, freshwater species are declining at double the rate of terrestrial or marine biodiversity and for me, freshwater eels are a bit of a poster-fish for all freshwater biodiversity.
Anguillid eels have life cycles more complex and mysterious than any other species I can think of. They are catadromous; spending most of their lives in freshwaters but returning to the ocean to spawn (a return journey of around ten thousand kilometres). Eels can live for many years, especially females – the oldest known European eel was over 100 years old. Despite being long-lived they only spawn once in their lives. The marine phase of an eel’s life remains much of a mystery – we do not know what eels do during their time in the oceans or exactly where they spawn. An exciting new project is radio-tracking eels to attempt to answer the mysteries that have eluded scientists since the time of Aristotle.
There are multiple threats facing European eels, and to different extents, all other species of freshwater eel around the world. Threats include: climate change, human infrastructure and development, disease, water pollution, habitat loss, over-exploitation and mortality caused by pumps and hydropower dams. Furthermore, as the illegal trade in European, American and Japanese eel is stopped, eels in other parts of the world where protections are less, may be at increased risk.
A critical step in the conservation of eels is ensuring people care about them and with this in mind, during a recent trip to Ambon, Indonesia, I visited Larike village, home to a population of Marbled eels, Anguilla marmorata, to find out why they are important to the local community. I met with Hafes Lauspa who is the King (or Raja) of Larike village. Hafes has taken the unusual step of protecting the eels in his village, meaning that no one can fish for them or harm them in anyway. Hafes hopes that by protecting the eels, the eels will attract tourism to the village and generate income.
What were your motivations for protecting the eels? People in my village have a big appetite for the eels as they believe they are good for achieving healthiness. But the population of eels is getting smaller and it made me think that I must do something to protect the eels so that the population does not become extinct.
What do the villagers think of the eels and the tourists that come to visit them? Since I introduced tourists to the eels of Larike in 2010, the villagers are very happy. They realised that to protect the eels is one of the ways to bring Larike village to the eyes of the world.
What are your hopes for the eels, the river, and Larike village for the future? I am the son of my father, the son of a king and the son of kings, we become a king since the village exists. It is our duty, as kings, to love, to carry and to protect the village until our last breath. As a king I hope to make the village much better in the future. The river has existed for a long time and brings so much life here to the village. I hope it exists forever and will always be with us, for current and future generations. And what about the eels – I hope the eels know that we really love them.
Whilst visiting Larike I took the chance to personally test out how much of a tourist-attraction these giant Marbled eels might be. For me the opportunity was very special, my time spent time with their eely cousins in Europe has been dominated by catching them during fish surveys – a challenging endeavour because in the hand they are extremely strong (both physically and in terms of their opinions of trying to escape) and pretty slimy which doesn’t help deal with their aforementioned strength. However, in Larike Village, I had the opportunity to observe freshwater eels on their terms for the first time in my life.
We started the visit with a walk through the picturesque village of Larike where we were greeted by curious children and locals (I must admit, we may have looked strange with our snorkelling equipment and cameras!). At the far end of the village we reached the stunning tropical and tree-lined Lady River (or Weidu Rupae as it is known locally). Hafes pointed to an area on the other side of the river that had large boulders: “this is where the eels live”. We waded across the shallow middle of the river and as soon as we got close to the boulders, around twenty eels came out of their holes and started to swim around our ankles. It was time to get our snorkel masks on! The water was pristine and cool, a contrast to the warm Indonesian day.
And what a treat the river had in store – as soon as I put my head underwater I had a window to a world that I would’ve never appreciated from the river bank. The water was clear and the river bed a beautiful mix of multiple shades of beige cobbles. Amazingly, the eels were not backwards in coming forwards (as my Mum would say); they were very inquisitive and in groups of two or three inched closer and closer to ‘bop’ my mask and underwater camera. This was especially true of the largest eel (named Bruce by the villagers). Bruce and the gang were clearly interested in the new strange big animal in their habitat, and that interest was mutual! It was clear to see that these fish are capable of complex and inquisitive behaviours and I was blown away that this conservation underdog is outright one of the most charismatic and charming animals I’ve hung out with. It was hard to top such a great experience, but Hafes tried – afterwards he took us to a shop in the village which sold real chocolate!
So has eel eco-tourism got legs? I’m clearly biased but in my opinion yes! If you like fish, water and exploring beautiful places, then hanging out underwater with eels should be on your bucket list. But it must be done in a sustainable way, like in Larike village where eels are in pristine natural habitat and free to come and go as they please, and where villagers benefit from tourism. Quite honestly, I’m convinced that if everyone had the chance to engage with eels on their terms like I did in Larike, everyone would become an anguillid advocate like Hafes and me.
Michael “Mick” Grant is a PhD Candidate at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. He has been on a number of expeditions to Papua New Guinea to study its sawfish as part of his research into this fascinating and enigmatic group of fishes . Here we talk to Mick about his expeditions, why sawfish are so remarkable, and how he is hoping to help conserve this highly threatened group.
by Michael Grant and Merlin Veron
Why Sawfish?
Evolutionarily, sawfish are very interesting, The toothed rostrum of sawfish make them a very unique member of the Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, and chimaeras). There are five species of sawfish. The smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata is found only in the tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, while the dwarf Pristis clavata, green Pristis zijsron, and narrow Anoxypristis cuspidata sawfish species are found only in tropical waters of the Indo Pacific region. Meanwhile, the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis is found globally throughout the topics.
Unfortunately for sawfish, they are one of the most threatened families across all sharks and rays. This is largely because their toothed rostrum (or ‘saw’) is very easily entangled in fishing nets. They are particularly susceptible to gillnet and trawl fisheries, which are the most common commercial fishing activities in estuaries and coastal regions where sawfish live. In recent decades, sawfish have experienced significant population declines and some species have lost up to 80% of their historic distribution. Presently, all species are either Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
So there is an urgent need to focus conservation efforts on identifying where the last refuges for these species are, and to try and understand how sawfish interact with the local people in order to identify threats to these remnant populations. It would be a shame to lose such an amazingly distinct animal.
What is your research trying to discover?
Our research focuses on sawfish in Papua New Guinea, although we are also documenting other species of shark and ray as we go. While it was thought northern Australia was the last major multi-species refuge for the four Indo-Pacific sawfish species, it appears there may still be viable populations in Papua New Guinea also. Recently in 2014, my PhD supervisor Dr. William White discovered all four Indo-Pacific species still present in Papua New Guinea’s Western province when examining dried shark fin during a short visit to the region. This prompted a major research expedition throughout Papua New Guinea to try and discover where viable populations may be, which is what we are currently working on. Primarily we search for rostra around villages, as the rostrum is often kept for decoration in villages houses. Additionally, we have designed a questionnaire for local fishermen to gather information on how sawfish fit in the livelihoods of local people (e.g. if they are culturally significant), and whether fishermen have noticed a change in their population numbers over time.
We have also found lots of river sharks Glyphis spp. River sharks occur in freshwater also as juveniles, becoming more marine as they grow larger. These sharks are also endangered so it has been nice to find pockets where population numbers appear to be quite high.
When do sawfish use freshwater, and what sort of habitat conditions do they require?
Sawfish typically use lower salinity environments within tropical river systems when they are younger. This may be an adaption to avoid large marine predators, and also avoid competition from other shark and ray species that occur in coastal waters during their vulnerable juvenile years.
While all sawfish species occur in non-marine environments (salinity less than 30ppt), only the largetooth sawfish can tolerate freshwater (salinity less than 5ppt) for prolonged periods. Studies in northern Australia have shown that largetooth sawfish spend their first four to five years in the upper reaches of rivers, accessing floodplains opportunistically as they grow. They then move down into the estuaries and out into marine waters (salinities greater than 30ppt) around river mouths and shallow inshore areas as they become adults. The other species have a similar pattern of habitat use as they grow, except they do not occur in freshwater for long periods. Rather, juveniles use estuaries as nursery grounds, generally moving into more marine environments as they grow larger.
The trouble with this strategy of using both non-marine and marine environments during their life cycle is that it compounds their exposure to human pressures. These pressures include not only fishing, but also river engineering (canals, dams, irrigation etc) and habitat degradation. Most sharks and rays only use marine environments, and these extra pressures that sawfish face are further reasons why sawfish are among the most endangered shark and ray species.
Michael Grant conducting an interview with local fishermen at Goare Village in the Kikori River Delta (c) Darcy Roeger
Just how do sawfish use their rostrum?
The rostrum has three main functions. Besides the obvious defence benefits that a sharp saw on one’s face would offer in shallow estuarine and inshore environments full of crocodiles and sharks, the rostrum is also used for feeding in two ways. Much like swordfish use their bill to stun schooling baitfish, sawfish have been observed rapidly waving their rostrum in schooling prawns and baitfish. The rostrums secret weapon however lies not in its sharp teeth, but rather a sixth-sense in small pores on its underside. All sharks and rays have pores around their mouth called ampullae of Lorenzini (first described by Stefano Lorenzini in 1678). These pores are interconnected and filled with a conductive jelly-like substance that acts as an electo-magnetic receptor. All living animals give off minute electric fields as a result of their bodily functions. These special ampullae of Lorenzini can detect these electrical signals, allowing sharks and rays to find prey that they cannot otherwise see (i.e. invertebrates and fish buried in sand). Sawfishes have a high concentration of ampullae of Lorenzini under their rostrum and they use it like a large metal detector to find food. This is a very critical adaption in the highly turbid rivers in which they live, as visibility is very low, and eyesight is not reliable enough to locate food alone.
When sawfish are caught in nets, the thrashing around of their rostrum in attempts to escape often results in damage to fishing gear. Because of this, some fishermen see sawfish as a pest, and sometimes cut the rostrum in order to untangle and discard the animal from their nets. While thankfully this practice is not considered to be common, starved sawfish that have had their rostrum cut off have been observed in northern Australia, indicating the crucial role the rostrum plays in sawfish feeding habits.
What’s your favourite fact about sawfish?
Probably the adaptability in the physiology of their blood. Weird, but first let me take you back to high school biology and explain. Fish (including bony fish, and sharks and rays) evolved in marine water. Because marine water is salty (and saltier than blood), fish lose water and absorb salt from the environment by osmosis and diffusion, respectively. To combat this, they have to drink constantly, and continuously excrete salts. If their blood gets too salty, it disrupts their nervous system and brain function.
In freshwater they have the opposite problem. They absorb water from the environment and loose salts. This means they don’t drink and retain salts as best as they can which they mainly obtain from food. If they loose to much salt, it also disrupts their nervous system and brain function. For fish that live in marine environments, they have adapted to have quite salty blood to help alleviate the ‘salt gradient’ between their blood and their environment so that they have less work to do in maintaining a balance.
Sharks and rays on the other hand have taken a different approach to the problem. They retain nitrogenous compounds in their blood, so that their overall blood salt level is loosely equal to their marine environment. The benefit of this is that they don’t loose much water by osmosis, and therefore sharks and rays generally don’t need to drink! The only problem they have is excreting salt. Unlike bony fish, sharks and rays have a special gland called the salt gland, that helps them remove excess salt from their body.
For sharks and rays this is a great adaption to marine environments, though it limits their ability to live in freshwater. For bony fish in freshwater, generally all they have to do is decrease the saltiness of their blood, so that they don’t absorb more water than the amount of urine their kidneys can produce. For sharks and rays however, they have the extra baggage of dissolved nitrogenous compounds in their blood. They have to reduce their blood salts, though keep enough for their nervous system to work, although they can’t lower their nitrogenous compounds too much. This means that in freshwater, they absorb lots of water because of the difference between their blood and the environment. They also have a very difficult time not losing all their salts through diffusion out of their gills. For this reason, there are only 43 rays that have been able to adapt to live in freshwater for their whole lives (most of which no longer have dissolved nitrogenous compounds in their blood), only 10 species of shark and ray that can occur in both freshwater and marine. The other 1200 species of sharks and ray stick to marine environments. Comparatively, around 40% of bony fish species (~15 000 species) occur in non-marine environments either full- or part-time, because this transition into freshwater is much easier for them. So the fact that sawfish can tolerate non-marine environments, and alter their blood chemistry to suit the environment type they are in is very special! We don’t entirely understand exactly how they do it at the biochemical level, though evolutionarily speaking, it’s quite a feat!
Michael Grant and Obiri, a local fisherman from Goare Village with the first confirmed account of the freshwater whip ray (Urogymnus dalyensis) in Papua New Guinea (c) Yolarnie Amepou
What is it that drew you to Papua New Guinea for your research?
What drew me to PNG wasn’t so much what we knew about the country but what we didn’t know! PNG is truly one of the last tropical wilderness areas on the planet. We know very little about what lives in its many river systems, and overall much of its coastline and riverine systems remain poorly documented. The second thing is the challenge that research in PNG presents. Outside of major towns and cities, there are no roads, limited airports, no sewage, no electricity and no running water. And to make things harder, crocodiles and disease carrying mosquitoes (including malaria) are commonplace, and wet season rainfall can be upwards of 10 metres. Accessing remote communities is a challenge within itself. Due to these challenges and inaccessibility, there a many discoveries to be made, and that’s what drives me to keep going back.
PNG is known for its birds of paradise and tree kangaroos, but what are its freshwater systems like?
The freshwater systems of PNG are truly remarkable. In the countries north, the Sepik River runs for more than 1,000km making it one of the longest tropical rivers in the world. Meanwhile in the Gulf of Papua in PNG’s south, the Fly, Bamu, Turama, Kikori, Wabo and Purari Rivers all drain into Gulf. These rivers are high flow and incredibly sediment rich, creating a highly turbid low salinity bay, perfect for sawfish. I’ve been lucky to travel up to the head waters of the Bamu, Turama and Kikori Rivers where conversely the water is crystal clear, flowing over volcanic rock through a labyrinth of dense rainforest. The natural beauty and shear expansiveness is truly hard to justify in words!
An expansive sand bank at the coast of Kikori River Delta. Shallow turbid sand banks are ideal habitat for all sawfish species (c) Michael Grant
Have PNG’s freshwater fishes been well documented, or do you think there are still many more to be described by science?
There have been only a few concerted expeditions over the years. The first assessment dates back as early as 1896, when the German botanist Carl Adolf Georg Lauterbach visited the Ramu River in PNG’s north (Lauterbach also collected the first sawfish specimen from PNG, a juvenile largetooth sawfish which is still preserved whole in the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin). Since then there have been other surveys, while in more modern times the likes of Gerald Allen and David Coates have led extensive surveys throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, again largely focused on the Sepik and Ramu Rivers in the countries north. My PhD supervisor William White recently conducted a large shark and ray orientated project from 2014-2018. The project resulted in 132 documented species in PNG, 12 of which were previously undescribed.
That is what appeals to me about working in the Gulf of Papua. The rivers are so inaccessible that I’m sure there are many freshwater fish waiting to be discovered throughout the multitude of floodplains, creeks and tributaries. For example, in late 2018 we confirmed a species of freshwater whipray, Urogymnus dalyensis, at the mouth of the Kikori river. This species was formerly only known in northern Australia.
What’s the most breathtaking/jaw-dropping moment you’ve had while on your expeditions?
The whole experience is quite amazing. Travelling down the Fly River was certainly up there. We passed about 400km of floodplain stretching to the horizon on either side of the river. The volume of freshwater habitat was incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen.
What is the most hair-raising moment you’ve had while on your expeditions?
The standout ‘only in PNG’ moment would have to be having a cassowary (a large aggressive flightless bird endemic to PNG and northern Australia) interrupt our assessment of the mornings catch during a visit to Kopar Village at the Mouth of the Sepik River. It turns out the cassowary was actually a semi domesticated ‘pet’ of one of the local villagers, though it was a hair-raising experience for a while there! Other experiences have included crossing sand bars at the mouths of rivers on a 20ft banana boat during 2m plus swells with the outflow of rivers providing a strong undercurrent. When you are 200km from civilisation seriously thinking about ‘if we capsize here, where can I swim to and if I make it, then what?’ it certainly gets the heart rate up! The skippers however drive those sort of conditions regularly, and they never seem too worried.
A cassowary holds up assessment of the overnight shark catch, Kopar Village, Sepik River (c) Michael Grant
What advice would you give young conservationists trying to research and protect rare and unique fish?
Admittedly, it can be a hard space to get into. There is often limited funding for such research and usually a bit of luck is required. I think volunteering is a great way to start out, and importantly not being afraid to reach out and offer assistance however you can. I’m a big believer in the old adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. If you are not meeting and talking to people, it’s hard to get anywhere! I think social media is a good platform, lots of scientists are on Twitter. Starting a professionally orientated account has paid good dividends for me personally. For undergraduate or postgraduate researchers, attending conferences in also important. For me, actually presenting a poster or talk comes secondary to having the opportunity to meet people. That being said, pick a conference that will attract the type of people you want to meet. Lastly, recognising that management of fisheries is not about managing the fish, it’s about managing the people. This cannot be overstated enough. I think social sciences, and studying how animals fit into the livelihoods of people is still in its infancy. There’s lots to learn and any conservation orientated project needs to include the local people.
What’s next for you and the wonderful sawfish you study?
A dangerous question to ask a mid-end term PhD candidate! It’s all a bit of an unknown at this point (for me and sawfish!). I’ve got a few things lined up to continue working in Papua New Guinea. There is lots of capacity building required to get things moving over there, and I’m fortunate to have good relationships with the University of Papua New Guinea and Provincial Fisheries officers. Gathering information to inform fisheries management plans is what the focus will be moving forward. If we can develop some sort of legislation to protect sawfish that would be fantastic, although community based awareness measures are probably more realistic in the short term. I’m planning on writing a children’s book to distribute to remote communities in PNG which will help inform people on sawfish, and concepts of overfishing. Taxonomic research is also high on my future agenda. I’m lucky to research under Dr William White at Australia’s National Fish Collection so we’ll see what happens. 10 years from now I’d like to be pulling the strings in my own lab, but for now its about completing research projects and ticking boxes.
The author would like to acknowledge and specifically thank William White for giving him the opportunity to work in Papua New Guinea and to his other PhD supervisors, Andrew Chin, Colin Simpfendorfer and Peter Kyne. Thanks also to Save our Seas Foundation for funding our research, and to the PIKU Biodiversity Network for their contribution to our project. Interested readers can stay up to date through the twitter account @Mickkgrant
Kathy is a Freshwater Specialist with experience from across Asia, Africa and Europe. She visited Ambon to see its awesome anguillids on holiday earlier this year.
When people think about the world’s most threatened animals, it’s unlikely that Anguillid (freshwater) eels spring to mind. In Europe, freshwater eels are one of our least appreciated but most critically endangered species, having declined by around 95% since the 1980s. Unlike most people, as a freshwater ecologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about animals like the freshwater eel because globally, all freshwater species are facing considerable threats. In fact, freshwater species are declining at double the rate of terrestrial or marine biodiversity and for me, freshwater eels are a bit of a poster-fish for all freshwater biodiversity.
Anguillid eels have life cycles more complex and mysterious than any other species I can think of. They are catadromous; spending most of their lives in freshwaters but returning to the ocean to spawn (a return journey of around ten thousand kilometres). Eels can live for many years, especially females – the oldest known European eel was over 100 years old. Despite being long-lived they only spawn once in their lives. The marine phase of an eel’s life remains much of a mystery – we do not know what eels do during their time in the oceans or exactly where they spawn. An exciting new project is radio-tracking eels to attempt to answer the mysteries that have eluded scientists since the time of Aristotle.
There are multiple threats facing European eels, and to different extents, all other species of freshwater eel around the world. Threats include: climate change, human infrastructure and development, disease, water pollution, habitat loss, over-exploitation and mortality caused by pumps and hydropower dams. Furthermore, as the illegal trade in European, American and Japanese eel is stopped, eels in other parts of the world where protections are less, may be at increased risk.
A critical step in the conservation of eels is ensuring people care about them and with this in mind, during a recent trip to Ambon, Indonesia, I visited Larike village, home to a population of Marbled eels, Anguilla marmorata, to find out why they are important to the local community. I met with Hafes Lauspa who is the King (or Raja) of Larike village. Hafes has taken the unusual step of protecting the eels in his village, meaning that no one can fish for them or harm them in anyway. Hafes hopes that by protecting the eels, the eels will attract tourism to the village and generate income.
What were your motivations for protecting the eels?
People in my village have a big appetite for the eels as they believe they are good for achieving healthiness. But the population of eels is getting smaller and it made me think that I must do something to protect the eels so that the population does not become extinct.
What do the villagers think of the eels and the tourists that come to visit them?
Since I introduced tourists to the eels of Larike in 2010, the villagers are very happy. They realised that to protect the eels is one of the ways to bring Larike village to the eyes of the world.
What are your hopes for the eels, the river, and Larike village for the future?
I am the son of my father, the son of a king and the son of kings, we become a king since the village exists. It is our duty, as kings, to love, to carry and to protect the village until our last breath. As a king I hope to make the village much better in the future. The river has existed for a long time and brings so much life here to the village. I hope it exists forever and will always be with us, for current and future generations. And what about the eels – I hope the eels know that we really love them, and I hope they can love us as much as we do.
Hafes (King of Larike Village) and I posing by the sign welcoming tourists to the village.
Whilst visiting Larike I took the chance to personally test out how much of a tourist-attraction these giant Marbled eels might be. For me the opportunity was very special, my time spent time with their eely cousins in Europe has been dominated by catching them during fish surveys – a challenging endeavour because in the hand they are extremely strong (both physically and in terms of their opinions of trying to escape) and pretty slimy which doesn’t help deal with their aforementioned strength. However, in Larike Village, I had the opportunity to observe freshwater eels on their terms for the first time in my life.
We started the visit with a walk through the picturesque village of Larike where we were greeted by curious children and locals (I must admit, we may have looked strange with our snorkelling equipment and cameras!). At the far end of the village we reached the stunning tropical and tree-lined Lady river (or Weidu Rupae as it is known locally). Hafes pointed to an area on the other side of the river that had large boulders ‘this is where the eels live’. We waded across the shallow middle of the river and as soon as we got close to the boulders, around twenty eels came out of their holes and started to swim around our ankles. It was time to get our snorkel masks on! The water was pristine and cool, a contrast to the warm Indonesian day.
And what a treat the river had in store – as soon as I put my head underwater I had a window to a world that I would’ve never appreciated from the river bank. The water was clear and the river bed a beautiful mix of multiple shades of beige cobbles. Amazingly, the eels were not backwards in coming forwards (as my Mum would say); they were very inquisitive and in groups of two or three inched closer and closer to ‘bop’ my mask and underwater camera. This was especially true of the largest eel (named Bruce by the villagers). Bruce and the gang were clearly interested in the new strange big animal in their habitat, and that interest was mutual! It was clear to see that these fish are capable of complex and inquisitive behaviours and I was blown away that this conservation underdog is outright one of the most charismatic and charming animals I’ve hung out with. It was hard to top such a great experience, but Hafes tried – afterwards he took us to a shop in the village which sold real chocolate!
So has eel eco-tourism got legs? I’m clearly biased but in my opinion yes! If you like fish, water and exploring beautiful places, then hanging out underwater with eels should be on your bucket list. But it must be done in a sustainable way like in Larike village where eels are in pristine natural habitat and free to come and go as they please, and where villagers benefit from tourism. Quite honestly, I’m convinced that if everyone had the chance to engage with eels on their terms like I did in Larike, everyone would become an anguillid advocate like Hafes and I.
Lady riverIn the river with eelsSinging eelBruceLrike village
In this blog, Shoal Director Mike Baltzer takes a look at the present situation in the peat swamp forests of Malaysia and Indonesia and shines a light on some of the most spectacular but little known species that call this place home.
The forests of Malaysia and Indonesia are burning again. Back on our screens are the horrifying scenes of millions of people living with extreme levels of air pollution and images of homeless orangutans and tigers, the wild icons of these great wildernesses. But there is one story of a magnificent group of species threatened by the fires that we haven’t heard enough about and that is the fishes.
An Orangutan overlooks the Sekonyer River in a peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (c) CIFOR
It is not our first instinct to worry about life underwater when see forests burning. But the use of these fires to clear peat swamp forest for oil palm, acacia and rubber plantations is removing a habitat vital to thousands of wetland species such as fishes that are being rapidly driven towards extinction.
The permanently flooded peat swamp forests are ancient habitats that support thousands of unique species including many of the most threatened fish species in South-East Asia. One group of species are the peat swamp forest specialists from the Parosphromenus genus, endearingly known as Liqourice Gouramis.
These incredibly beautiful tiny jewels live hidden away in the murky blackwaters of the peat swamp forests. They are airbreathers living in the leaf litter in the tiny dark streams and channels that cut through the peat swamp forests, meaning they can tolerate the low oxygen levels in the water.
Scientists have only recently begun to understand the “Paros” as they are nicknamed. The first species was described in 19th century but new species are still being discovered. Where they live, they are often abundant but easily overlooked. The aquarists, the fishkeeping hobbyists, have not overlooked them. Liquourice gouramis are naturally very popular because of their incredible beauty and diversity. But they are generally hard to keep and often hard to see in an aquarium and so very few people keep them.
Parosphromenus harveyi, Assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red ListParosphromenus alfredi, Assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
And it is the few people that do that may be part of the answer to their survival. The little known Parosphromenus Project, set up by a passionate German aquarist called Peter Finke has been quietly working to save these species through a voluntary effort organised by aquarists. Working across the world, these enthusiasts share information, maintain breeding populations of each species and raise awareness of the plight of these fishes. They have even begun to identify the habitats and seek to gain their protection in a variety of innovative ways.
The issue facing the liquorice gouramis is that their habitat is shrinking. Many of the species are now confined to very tiny patches and islands, some not much bigger than a football field of peat swamp forest in a sea of oil palm.
Shoal together with the Parosphromenus Project and IUCN ASAP, the Asian Species Action Programme are working with experts and partners in Malaysia and Indonesia to set up immediate action to halt any further loss of the Liquorice Gourami habitats and to secure sustainable populations of these species. This is a unique collaboration between aquarists and conservation agencies.
Next time you see the fires on the news, think of these tiny fishes that are facing extinction through the loss of these great forests.
My interest in freshwater fish started off as a school kid who kept goldfish, guppies and gouramies at home. Only after several years of keeping these ‘exotics’, did I understand that they were ‘enemies of nature’ – a leading cause for decline in native biodiversity, often pushing many species to extinction. I quickly quit my fishkeeping hobby, unhappy about the fact that I could not find any ‘good fish’ to keep. Field trips during my undergraduate program made me realise the importance of my backyard, the Western Ghats, as one of the world’s finest natural repositories of freshwater biodiversity.
What’s the best memory you have from all the times you have had working on the rivers of India?
There are several, and I come back from each of my field trips with several interesting incidents. This includes watching shoals of the endangered Redline Torpedo Barbs to monster-like mahseers. But the moment I will always cherish is describing the world’s only known subterranean snakehead fish, Aenigmachanna gollum, probably one of the most enigmatic species of freshwater fish ever described from India! This was such an unusual fish – like a beast from outer space!
Rajeev on a recent scoping trip for a conservation project to save the hump-backed mahseer (c) Michael Baltzer
What changes have you seen since you first visited those river systems?
The crystal-clear waters in the mountain streams of the Western Ghats had fish species a hundred times more beautiful than the goldfish I kept in my tank, but their habitats were being quickly threatened in the race for development. Very few rivers of the Western Ghats are now free flowing, with the majority of them being dammed for irrigation and hydropower. Alien Invasive Species have colonised habitats from headwater streams to the estuaries with species such as Amazonian Sucker Catfish and African Catfish now dominating many water bodies and resulting in severe declines of native species. Clearly, we have lost more than 50% of critical freshwater habitats of Western Ghats, and have no idea how many silent extinctions have taken place!
Why do freshwater fish need our help?
The ‘freshwater paradox, where more than 16,000 fish species live in less than one percent of the Earth’s surface, and subjected to a range of anthropogenic stressors is one of the greatest challenges for global biodiversity conservation. With more than 60 species already extinct, 22% of the species (of over 7,600 species assessed for their conservation status) facing a high risk of extinction, and recent extinction rate estimates several hundred times higher than natural extinction rates, freshwater fish are truly a group ‘living on the edge’. As many human-induced stressors are predicted not only to persist but also intensify in the foreseeable future, and several emerging threats adding to the woes, freshwater fish and the ecosystems they rely on will require immediate and sustained conservation interventions if they are to overcome the Anthropocene. Despite this, freshwater fish conservation is often invisible, and ignored on the global conservation agenda.
Is there a particular species which you think epitomises the challenges of conserving freshwater fish?
No doubt, this would be the humpbacked mahseer, one of the world’s largest and rarest mahseer species. Working with colleagues from the Mahseer Trust and the Bournemouth University, I was fortunate enough to have resolved the identity of the humpbacked mahseer – a mystery that lasted for 150 years. A megafish, and an icon of freshwater conservation in the Western Ghats, the humpbacked mahseer has shown catastrophic declines (>90%) since the early nineties, and is now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Despite these striking statistics, there is absolutely no on-ground conservation action in place to save these giants from going extinct! The remaining populations of the humpbacked mahseer lives in some of the remotest habitats in the Western Ghats including the ‘Moyar Gorge’ – also infamous as the ‘Mysore Ditch’. Saving the humpbacked mahseer would mean working in some of these isolated river systems inside forests teeming with wildlife, including elephants, tigers, leopards and bears, and where accessibility is extremely limited, and movement severely compromised.
Why is the research you do so important?
Regardless of over three centuries of ichthyological research, we know very little about the diversity (around 240 new species continue to be described every year!), distribution, biology and ecology of freshwater fish species, thus hindering the development and implementation of on-ground conservation actions. For 90% of tropical freshwater fish species, the only information we have is their name, type locality and basic morphology. Bridging this knowledge gap has been hampered by the lack of organised and continued investment for freshwater science and policy making.
Why are you involved in the Shoal Partnership?
Conserving the world’s freshwater fish species requires a proactive strategy and a combination of approaches from public awareness, to scientific research, and on-ground conservation practice. There is still time to conserve and sustainably manage the Earth’s freshwater biodiversity but we should act now! Shoal arrived at the right time, providing hope that we can all work together to protect critical freshwater habitats and threatened species. It is indeed heartening to see some of the world’s top conservation organisations working for the cause of freshwater species and it gives me immense happiness to be working alongside them.
What can people do to help freshwater fish?
Firstly, freshwater fish need to be recognised and treated as ‘wildlife’! Making sure that freshwaters are not treated as dumping grounds of waste and are allowed to flow freely, will no doubt create healthy ecosystems where fish can survive and flourish.
Rajeev conducting field work (c) Rajeev RaghavanThe Bhavani River, a potential reintroduction site for the hump-back mahseer (c) Michael Baltzer
Under the water’s surface: An interview with Jack Perks
One of the key challenges in conserving freshwater species is that few people ever get to see them. If they do it is often out of the water, where it is difficult to get a true appreciation for these aquatic animals. As a result of sediment suspended in the water, rivers, lakes and even streams are often turbid and unlike marine environments it is tricky to see clearly underwater. Consequently, it can be difficult to shine a light on the species that live there. Out of sight and out of mind – it’s hard to protect something (or even to want to protect something) that you can’t see.
One man working to change this in the UK is Jack Perks. Jack recently completed the feat of seeing, and importantly, filming all 54 species of the UK’s freshwater fish species. You can see these species for yourself in Jack’s latest video which includes some stunning and even comical footage of these species from around the country, or in Jack’s newly released book: Freshwater Fishes of Britain (available here). We caught up with Jack for a quick interview about some of his observations over the last seven years under the surface of Britain’s rivers, lakes, and streams.
Grayling, River Allen (c) Jack Perks
What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen during your dives?
Well in terms of non-fishy things, I’ve found everything from guns, iPads and even a sex toy! Fish-wise, one surprise was fairly recently finding a good-sized bass 10 miles inland considering it’s mainly thought as a sea fish!
What changes have you seen in the river systems during your time diving around Britain?
We constantly hear that rivers are getting better, but when you think most were open sewers it doesn’t take much to be better. They are in a real poor state with lots of pollutants, chemicals and plastics in many of them and anglers are often the first people to notice these things. I only got ill once from rivers while filming and I’m convinced it was from a manky river in Devon that shall remain nameless!
Brown Trout, River Lathkill (c) Jack Perks
Not many people get to see freshwater fish up close or underwater. What was it that got you interested in freshwater fish?
I think it’s the mystery of them that intrigues me most, that hidden nature. I’ve always had a fascination with the natural world and started fishing when I was 11. I then turned to photography at 16 and seemed the perfect combination to try and photograph fish.
Which is the species which you enjoy seeing most?
Grayling are my favourite species though barbel come a close second. They look just magnificent in the water with the dorsal fin moving in the current and the splendid breeding colours of kingfisher blue and ruby reds.
Smelt, River Tamar (c) Jack Perks
What are some reasons to feel optimistic about the future of freshwater fishes in Britain?
People are certainly more aware of the problems these habitats and species face: look at the Blue Planet effect with plastics for example, so there is hope but it takes action, not just sharing a post on social media to really make a difference. And it doesn’t have to be big things: use a little less water, reduce your single-use plastic, and eat sustainably caught fish.
What’s your next project?
I’d like to do another book, maybe on the places, people and fish I’ve come across, as well as try to film more marine fish. Some of the European fish like Cozimo barbel, Amur pike and huchen sound like a challenge too.
Today Shoal celebrates one month since the Partnership’s official launch. This was marked on Friday 1st March 2019 with a small event kindly hosted by the Fishmongers’ Company in London. The event brought together aquarists, anglers, businesses, zoos and aquariums, conservation organisations and foundations. Many of the organisations present were, or have since, signed up as Strategic Partners of Shoal, aligning with the Partnership’s mission: to save and recover populations of the most threatened fish and other threatened freshwater species.
Mike Baltzer, Director of Shoal, announced the realisation of his vision: a new partnership which will put freshwater species conservation front and centre (below, left). As well as highlighting the great peril faced by thousands of freshwater species across the world and the absence of coordinated conservation action for many of them, Mike also spoke with great optimism of the amazing global community of people and businesses passionate about freshwater species. Throughout the development of Shoal there has been a palpable sense that many have been waiting for just such an opportunity.
At the launch event we were also delighted to welcome author, biologist, angler and television presenter, Jeremy Wade as our special guest speaker (above, right). Jeremy is best known for River Monsters and Mighty Rivers, and he fascinated the audience with tales from his travels to catch some of the largest and most threatened freshwater fishes around the globe. Jeremy reflected of the increasing rarity of the Earth’s freshwater “monsters”. Often the communities he meets on the banks of the world’s rivers and lakes tell him that if he wanted to catch that particular species, he should have come 50 or 100 years ago. Jeremy said his travels had shown him the desperate need to better protect freshwater systems and the species who depend upon then, and that is why he had taken time out of his schedule to make sure he was at the Partnership’s launch in person. We are very pleased to announce that Jeremy has agreed to become an official ambassador for the Shoal Partnership.
Jeremy Wade with a Piraiba catfish (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) , Essequibo River, Guyana (c) Icon Films
As well as the launch event we also organised a meeting for fish aquarists kindly hosted by Chester Zoo on Saturday 9th March. This meeting was coordinated by Shoal supporter Andy Patel, and brought together 17 aquarists and aquarist associations from the north of England. The purpose of the meeting was to understand more about how the aquarist community already engages in conservation, and how Shoal can help aquarists to implement and be a part of effective conservation programmes for the species they treasure. It was an extremely productive meeting with many promising ideas discussed. One outcome is that we will soon be launching a Facebook page which will aim to bring aquarists closer to the wild species and habitats they care for. We are also now exploring establishing an individual membership scheme for Shoal. The meeting ended with a tour of Chester Zoo’s aquarium, and the feedback from the meeting is now being developed into a new strategy focused on engagement of the aquarist community.
The Shoal aquarists meeting, kindly hosted at Cedar House, Chester Zoo (c) Claire Raisin
A commentary the topic ‘aquarists and conservation’ written by Andy Patel is available here.
In addition to these meetings we’ve also been continuing to reach out to individuals, businesses and organisations who show an interest in joining Shoal and have been working to formalise these organisations’ engagement in the Partnership. You can learn more about Shoal’s strategic partners and how to become one here.
We are also continuing to develop our initial suite of projects, with a Conservation Planning meeting now being organised in India to kickstart work to save the mighty hump-backed mahseer from extinction. Project Mahseer is a collaborative initiative catalysed by Shoal to save this remarkable group of fish from extinction. The project will focus on conserving these species across their range, in turn contributing towards conservation of some of Asia’s most biodiverse and threatened river systems. The project will engage with a wide range of partner organisations, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government stakeholders, universities, scientists, businesses, anglers and local communities to devise and implement conservation solutions which reduce pressure on surviving mahseer populations, and help to recover populations in areas where they have undergone rapid decline. The initial objective is to focus on the conservation of the Critically Endangered hump-backed mahseer; however, it is hoped this will be the first of many projects which is undertaken under this new initiative. Project Mahseer intends to be a long-term initiative operating over a long-time horizon. This is both due to the enormity of the challenge to save mahseer in their 11 range countries, but also to ensure that the impacts of supported conservation interventions are sustainable and enduring. This initial planning meeting is being kindly hosted by WWF-India and is a vital first step in this ambitious project to save the hump-backed mahseer from extinction.
We thank everyone who has shown an interest in Shoal so far and helped to get the Partnership to the stage where we could officially launch. We are very much looking forward to the exciting next steps in the Partnership’s development and to working with you all. If you want to find out more about any of our programmes or have ideas for how Shoal can better engage with you and your community then contact us at: mike@shoalconservation.org or m.edmondstone@shoal.org.uk
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