Interview with Michael Köck – European tour of zoos, aquaria and museums
“I thought I should introduce myself and Plan G to potential new partners in this exciting conservation plan, which has the potential to raise the bar for other projects and set new standards in freshwater conservation. ”
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Over the coming weeks
Michael Köck, Chair of Plan G: the initiative to save the highly threatened Goodeinae family of Splitfins in Mexico, will travel around zoos, public aquaria and museums across Europe in a bid to engage stakeholders in an exciting and ambitious conservation plan. His travels will take him through Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom and it is hoped the trip will inspire relevant organisations and generate vital funding to save these species from extinction.
We caught up with Michael to learn more.
Could you say a bit about your background – introduce yourself a little?
Michael: I am a 56-year-old Austrian biologist who worked as a curator in a public aquarium in Vienna for 18 years. Last year I gave up this well-paid job and started working in freshwater fish conservation in Mexico, as the Chair of a 10-year conservation plan for an endemic Mexican fish group called Splitfins (subfamily Goodeinae, family Goodeidae). If you ask me why I gave up my job to work in Mexico, I will answer because I have seen what the people in this country are capable of achieving. I was impressed by the success they were able to reach with limited resources and I wanted to be part of this movement. I have faith in this community: Mexicans are incredible when they want to arrive at something and the people I work with are passionate about succeeding in conservation. I'm here to help them where I can and to learn from them whenever I can.
What is the purpose of this European tour?
Michael: The overall aim of this European zoo tour is to encourage zoos and public aquaria to become more involved in the conservation of Mexican Goodeid fish and to create something like a Goodeid Conservation Alliance. This unique group of fish is one of the most endangered in the world: 90% of the described species are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN and are therefore already in the focus of conservation efforts by many zoos and organisations. However, we want to unite all these efforts under one umbrella, and as the projects in our Plan G portfolio follow the one plan approach, meaning they include both ex situ and in situ work and involve local communities, they are certainly of interest to many zoos and public aquaria.
What are some of the key places you'll visit?
Michael: Certainly the big zoos in Berlin, Leipzig, Nuremberg and Munich are important places, as well as Basel and Zurich, but there are others I'm looking forward to, such as Budapest and the museum in Malmö, which already play an important role in the conservation of Goodeids, or the zoo in Pilsen with a house for endangered fish. Honestly, every place I visit will be a highlight on my tour and I'm looking forward to each and every one of them.
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Why did you choose these places in particular?
Michael: I have selected zoos and public aquaria that are already contributing to the conservation of the Goodeids or Mexican freshwater fish and that I will be able to reach on my tour. There are public institutions that I have known for many years and where people I call friends work, and there are others where I only know the key people virtually, and finally there are zoos that claim to be strongly committed to conservation but have not worked with fish before. These are the most exciting ones as you never know if they are also interested in freshwater fish, but as freshwater habitats are the most threatened in the world, some zoos have broadened their focus and are open to dialogue. All in all, a mixture of good old friends and hopefully new contacts.
It's a lot of travelling! And a lot of visiting zoos, aquaria and museums. Have you done anything like this before?
Michael: No, this is something I've never done before. That's what came to mind when we launched Plan G, and with it my role of chair and ambassador. So I thought I should introduce myself and Plan G to potential new partners in this exciting conservation plan, which has the potential to raise the bar for other projects and set new standards in freshwater conservation. Every penny and cent counts for these fish, and every metre on this journey is worth it. In the end, I should have visited more than 30 zoos and public aquaria in 48 days and hopefully gained more members for the Goodeid Conservation Alliance.
What can zoos, aquaria and museums offer as key allies in conservation?
Michael: Zoos, aquaria and museums reach a large group of people. Zoo visitors, who don't really think of fish when they think of endangered animals, are awakened and interested, and lectures in museums could reach a whole new audience. By working together with them, the circle of people we can reach with our conservation efforts expands enormously. Temporary actions in zoos to create support or raise money, or the conservation euro collected by several German zoos, contribute directly to conservation and the network between zoos strengthens such an alliance and makes it very stable. As it stands, however, it is easier to approach zoos and public aquaria than museums, although the latter probably need a slightly different approach.
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Finally, what are your hopes and expectations with this tour?
Michael: It would be presumptuous to have any expectations for this tour. The budget for this year has already been spent or committed, so I'm not thinking about immediate support. In the long term, I hope that I can convince many of the places I visit how important their contribution is. Protecting freshwater fish is not just about reintroducing a species, but also about listening to the local people, trying to understand their problems, aspirations and hopes, and it involves trying to get them on board and working with them to solve their problems.
This also includes environmental education and social work. A healthy, clean lake is something that everyone wants, but that the people who live on it and from it often cannot afford. But with smart and clever ideas and the will of multiple stakeholders, we could build something like a constructed wetland that helps clean the lake's wastewater, and if you plant it with flowers that a women's startup can sell at markets, you are not only cleaning a lake, but you are also helping to increase the community's wealth and promote gender equality. Conservation work starts with the people and ends with them. I hope that many of the places I visit in Europe recognise this and help us find a balance between freshwater habitat conservation and people's needs that can serve as a model for the rest of the world.
The zoos, aquaria and museums Michael will be visiting:
Monday 02 September: Malmö Museum.
Tuesday 03 September: Den Blå Planet Aquarium.
Wednesday 04 September: Rostock Zoo.
Thursday 05 September: Schwerin Zoo.
Friday 06 September: Aquarium Berlin (morning), Tierpark Berlin (afternoon).
Saturday 07 September: 1000 Arten-Projekt and Berlin Group of Livebearer breeders.
Monday 09 September: Stiftung Artenschutz.
Tuesday 10 September: Bergzoo Halle (morning), Zoo Leipzig (afternoon).
Wednesday 11 September: Zoo Nuremberg.
Thursday 12 September: Zoo Pilsen (morning) , then Prague (afternoon, pending).
Friday 13 September: Zoo Hellabrunn, Munich.
Saturday 14 September: Museum Mensch & Natur.
Monday 16 September: Zoo Salzburg Hellbrunn (morning), Haus der Natur (afternoon, pending).
Tuesday 17 September: Zoo and Aquazoo Schmiding (pending).
Monday 23 September: Zoo Karlsruhe (morning, pending), Keplergymnasium Pforzheim (afternoon).
Tuesday 24 September: Zoo Zürich (morning), Zoo Basel (afternoon).
Wednesday 25 September:Wilhelma, Stuttgart (morning), Zoo Mulhouse (afternoon, pending).
Thursday 26 September: Zoo Nancy (pending)
Friday 27 September: Aquarium Tropical and Parc Zoologique Paris.
Monday 30 September: Bristol Zoo Gardens (morning), and Tropiquaria Zoo (afternoon).
Tuesday 01 October: Whipsnade Zoo (morning), Hertfordshire Zoo (afternoon).
Wednesday 02 October: Chester Zoo (morning), Blue Planet Aquarium (afternoon).
Thursday 03 October: Bolton Museum Aquarium and Ornamental Aquatic Wholesale
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Friday 04 October: Budapest Zoo (morning) and Tropicarium Budapest (afternoon).
Monday 07 October: Sosto Zoo (afternoon).
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