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 the dark, tannin-stained waters of Bangka Island’s swamp forests, SHOAL, ASAP and Mandai Nature Local Action Partners from Airlangga University, Indonesia are working hard to save one of the country’s aquatic treasures: the Critically Endangered Betta burdigala. The species, endemic to Bangka, thrives in the unique, acidic waters of the region’s peat swamps.
Betta burdigala is a blackwater swamp specialist, perfectly adapted to its environment. Its labyrinth organ allows it to breathe air directly, a vital trait for surviving the low-oxygen conditions of flooded peatlands. However, these habitats are disappearing rapidly, threatened by palm oil plantations, tin mining, pollution, and overexploitation. The stakes are high, but a dedicated team of researchers and local collaborators is determined to ensure this fish’s survival.
A key component of the project is the captive breeding programme, where Betta burdigala pairs are conditioned in hatcheries, to be released into the species’ native habitat, boosting populations. The fish have fascinating parental care behaviours: males take gulps of air from the surface and blow out a bubble, which rests alongside hundreds of other bubbles, constructing a bubble nest where the fish guard their eggs and fry. In every breeding cycle, a single pair can produce up to 15 juveniles, which are raised until they are ready for reintroduction into the wild.
To maintain genetic diversity, the team works with skilled fish catchers to collect enough broodstock from the wild. This ensures the reintroduced population has the resilience to thrive in its restored habitat.
The conservation of Betta burdigala is intertwined with protecting its habitat. Peat swamp forests, a globally endangered ecosystem, are being destroyed for agriculture and mining. Compounding the problem, forest edges near urban areas often accumulate plastic waste, further degrading the environment.
Recognising this, the team is taking bold steps toward habitat preservation. The next phase involves establishing a fish sanctuary deep within the heart of Bangka’s peat swamp forests. Guided by knowledge from local collectors and hobbyists, the sanctuary will offer a safe-haven where reintroduced Betta burdigala can flourish, along with other vulnerable species like the beautiful Parosphromenus deissneri and the enigmatic Kottelatlimia pristes.
This effort extends beyond science; it’s a collaboration with local communities and government to foster long-term sustainability. By raising awareness about the importance of these habitats and their unique inhabitants, the project ensures that conservation becomes a shared responsibility.
Josie South, fish ecologist at the University of Leeds, who has been guiding the assessment and ecological aspects of the work on Betta burdigala, said, “The success of the Betta burdigala project indicates the capacity for real change from inclusive management involving higher education, hobbyists, government, conservation and fishers working together to preserve biodiversity. Having reintroduced 147 juveniles and locating a prospective fish sanctuary site as well as a site with rehabilitation potential we can see that there is hope for conservation of these overlooked peat swamp fish”.
In saving Betta burdigala, this initiative is doing more than protecting a single species—it’s preserving an entire ecosystem. And in the peaty waters of Bangka Island, hope for the swamp forests and their extraordinary life forms glimmers on.
Mekong Ghost rediscovered after missing for nearly 20 years
Giant Salmon Carp (Aaptosyax grypus) rediscovered in Cambodia. Photo Courtesy of Chhut Chheana, USAID Wonders of the Mekong
The rediscovery of the Giant ‘Mekong Ghost’ Fish sends a message to the CBD COP16 of hope – and a reminder that freshwater ecosystems are in crisis.
While the world discusses how to save biodiversity at the CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the rediscovery of the elusive Giant Salmon Carp, previously feared extinct and nicknamed the Giant Mekong Ghost Fish, was announced. The rediscovery of the large predatory fish represents an urgent call to action for all freshwater ecosystems (referred to as ‘Inland Waters’ by the Convention on Biological Diversity) and all the species, including humans, that rely on them.
A call to the COP:
Freshwater systems are the lifeblood of the planet and yet time and again they are neglected and overlooked. At this CBD COP, the voices of those concerned about freshwater continue to get louder. News of the Giant Salmon Carp’s rediscovery in the Mekong, a river vital to the everyday lives of millions of people, provides a rare opportunity to remind us all that freshwater biodiversity is at crisis point.
Delegates from around the world are currently in Cali, Colombia to set out plans for how to turn back the tide on catastrophic global biodiversity loss. The Carp’s rediscovery is a glimmer of hope that species feared extinct are still out there, surviving when the odds seem desperately stacked against them.
It is now up to policymakers to prioritise freshwaters, to ensure we do not lose this magnificent fish, and many hundreds of other freshwater wonders, forever.
Giant Salmon Carp rediscovered:
The ‘Mekong Ghost’ has been missing for nearly 20 years, and the team of scientists, led by researchers from the Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute of the Cambodian Fisheries Administration, who rediscovered it deserve our congratulations. The Giant Salmon Carp (Aaptosyax grypus) – an ASAP species and one of SHOAL’s Priority Fishes under the 1,000 Fishesinitiative – had not been documented since 2005 and was feared extinct. A few days ago, researchers published proof that the species has resurfaced in Cambodia, reigniting hope for its survival, and sparking calls for urgent conservation efforts to protect Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
Their research, published in the journal Biological Conservation, emphasises the need for innovative conservation strategies to safeguard not only this species but the broader ecosystem of the Mekong, which has been termed a “fish superhighway” and is home to some of the largest freshwater fish on Earth.
“The rediscovery of the Giant Salmon Carp is a reason for hope, not just for this species but for the entire Mekong ecosystem,” said Bunyeth Chan, lead researcher from Svay Rieng University in Cambodia. “The Mekong ecosystem is the most productive river on Earth, producing over two million tons of fish per year.” The Mekong River holds staggering diversity, with more than 1,100 fish species alone, around 25 per cent of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The Giant Salmon Carp is one of the 90 Critically Endangered ASAP freshwater fish species and one of the five large migratory ASAP species that SHOAL and the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) is working to conserve.
“The rediscovery of the Giant Salmon Carp is a reason for hope, not just for this species but for the entire Mekong ecosystem.”
Bunyeth Chan – Lead researcher, Svay Rieng University in Cambodia.
Giant Salmon Carp head. Photo Courtesy of Chhut Chheana, USAID Wonders of the Mekong
“The biodiversity of the Mekong is truly unique, and we must intensify our efforts to study and protect it,” Heng Kong, co-author of the study and director of the Inland Fisheries Research Institute in Cambodia, said. “Species like the Giant Salmon Carp are irreplaceable, and without concerted action, they could disappear forever.”
“It’s a striking fish, up to six feet long, with a hooked, s-shaped jaw and the body and bright scales of a salmon,” said Zeb Hogan, a co-author of the study and director of the Wonders of the Mekong programme at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It’s the only species in its genus of an evolutionary distinct form of large-bodied, predatory carp.
“Aaptosyax numbers are very low, and we don’t know how many populations remain, or if they are connected,” Hogan said. “The rediscovery means that with coordinated international action it may still be possible to save the species from oblivion”.
“The rediscovery provides a nice entry point to discussing some of the larger Mekong controversies and scientific knowledge gaps. It highlights the extraordinary diversity of the Mekong River, its elusive and unusual creatures, their life cycles and habitats shrouded in mystery, and species on the verge of vanishing forever. The rediscovery is a call-to-action. It’s a reason for a change in course: new science, new protections, new partnerships that can bring species – and the Mekong River – back from the brink. It’s a story with significant environmental and economic implications because the Mekong River is home to rich biodiversity and a USD 10 billion fishery”.
The research team are calling for continued community-engaged research. The USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong programme, working in close collaboration with the Cambodian Department of Fisheries, has successfully involved local fishers in conservation efforts since the programme began in 2017. By partnering with people who live along the Mekong and its tributaries, researchers hope to continue to gather critical information on the Carp’s habitat and behaviour.
Giant Salmon Carp (Aaptosyax grypus) scale collection Photo Courtesy of Chhut Chheana, USAID Wonders of the Mekong
“Local fishers possess invaluable ecological knowledge and could be pivotal in identifying key habitats and establishing conservation zones,” said Sébastien Brosse from the Université Paul Sabatier in France, one of the study’s coauthors.
The Mekong River is a global priority for freshwater biodiversity conservation, and the Giant Salmon Carp is a powerful reminder of the rich biodiversity still present there. However, habitat degradation, overfishing and dam construction have caused widespread harm to the river and its species. Climate change poses a new and growing threat, as the region faces more prolonged drought and more severe floods. To address these issues, scientists are calling for a comprehensive, multi-faceted conservation strategy.
“Protecting its habitat would not only secure the future of this rare megafish but could also support other endangered species in the region, contributing to the overall health of the Mekong’s freshwater biodiversity,” Michael Grant, of the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture in Australia, said.
There is no time to waste. With the Mekong in such desperate decline, concerted and urgent impactful conservation work is needed. SHOAL currently has six projects running in the region, directly conserving at least four Critically Endangered freshwater fish species, including the Redtail Sharkminnow and the Jullien’s Golden Carp, another migratory Mekong giant.
The Wonders of the Mekong programme has done incredible work to rediscover the Giant Salmon Carp, raise urgent awareness of the plight of Mekong biodiversity, and engage local communities and international networks in vital conservation work. As a result of the rediscovery, the Cambodian Fisheries Administration has added the Giant Salmon Carp to its list of protected species. Ultimately, the survival of the species—and the Mekong’s biodiversity—depends on coordinated efforts across borders.
It is essential to the health of the planet that policymakers urgently step up and prioritise these efforts.
Michael Köck European tour update 3: Nuremberg, Germany – Stuttgart, Germany
On 11 September, I took the bus from Leipzig to Nuremberg and arrived at the zoo around noon. Director Dag Encke left an ongoing meeting to say hello and scheduled our meeting an hour later, so I had some time to visit the zoo. Nuremberg is one of only few zoos in Europe that house manatees and even dolphins. Though an hour seems a long time, I didn’t get further than seeing these animals, partly due to a heavy rain shower that rolled in.
The meeting itself was awesome! Plan G was – again – well received and several possibilities of supporting this conservation plan through the zoo were evaluated. We found a possible way to combine Goodeid conservation with the zoo’s work on Ambystoma dumerilii, the Lake Patzcuaro salamander endemic to the Pátzcuaro lake drainage.
We also discussed several support possibilities through the zoo and with organisations associated with zoos, some of which were already approached by me, others scheduled for next year.
I spent the night in Prague and visited Plzeň Zoo on 12 September, which is about one hour west of Prague. This zoo has built a house for endangered fish species, including Goodeids, so it was of course worth a visit. Curator Tomaš Peš picked me up at the train station, brought me to the zoo and showed me the exhibition. I was really impressed to see threatened fish from all continents in one room, but even more impressed that the zoo drew attention to the cooperation between hobbyists and zoos – an important relationship in conservation that I have been talking about for years.
After lunch with Tomaš, director Jiří Trávníček and his son – both of them experts in Mexican reptiles, especially rattle snakes – I presented Plan G to them and other representatives of the zoo. Already during the presentation, I was offered financial support for Plan G for this and the coming year, so Plzeň Zoo joined the Goodeid conservation alliance!
The next day I proceeded to Zoo Hellabrunn in Munich. Thanks to curator Eric Diener, who became a dear friend on this trip, I was allowed to sleep in the zoo for three nights. The wish in Munich to display Goodeids and contribute to their conservation is high, so we discussed several possible approaches, including linking Goodeid conservation with that of an Ambystoma species. A few days later I received an encouraging email from Eric, saying that Zoo Hellabrunn wants to support Plan G, initially for three years with €5,000 to €10,000 annually, focusing on a reintroduction project or a project related to reforestation.
After enjoying a weekend off in Munich, I visited Zoo Hellbrunn. Though the name sounds very similar to Munich Zoo Hellabrunn, this zoo is located in Salzburg, the Austrian city that many people connect with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Sound of Music. I met Lisa Sernow, the responsible curator and Mario Katzinger, who is responsible for everything related to South and Central America. We talked about Plan G and its dimensions, with the result that the aquarium in the so-called South America house will be changed into a Goodeid tank to create awareness and collect donation from visitors. The zoo is also willing to directly support Plan G.
So, six days, four zoos, one hundred per cent support – what else can be asked for! After another day in Salzburg, due to severe flooding in Austria which had caused all train and bus connections to be canceled, I finally arrived in Vienna to spend a few days with my family and take a well-deserved vacation.
Then on 22 September, I was on the bus again to meet a dear friend in Stuttgart and prepare more meetings for the Monday, starting with the Zoo in Karlsruhe that has its own conservation foundation, the “Artenschutzstiftung”. The meeting there and a few more in Switzerland and France will be part of the Travel Report number four, so stay tuned!
Nathaniel Ng has joined the SHOAL team as the Southeast Asia Programme Coordinator alongside SHOAL partners IUCN SSC ASAP. He is a conservation biologist by training, with research background in population and conservation genomics and, in the years since his doctorate, has focused his efforts on the protection of life under the water’s surface, taking on aquatic-focused roles in conservation and research management in Mandai Nature, SEA Aquarium, and Mandai Wildlife Reserves, while freelancing in environmental consultation.
What’s your background?
Nathaniel: I am a conservation biologist with research specialisation in phylogenomics and population genomics and molecular ecology. I am fortunate to have enjoyed a diverse and multidisciplinary academic background, from sexual selection in insects, to Masters work in environmental science and management, on to PhD work focused on the patterns and mechanisms driving avian diversification across islands. Since completing my postgraduate degrees, I have turned my attention to freshwater fish conservation, accruing experience in conservation management and planning in the contexts of both NGOs (Mandai Nature) and zoos and aquaria (SEA Aquarium, Mandai Wildlife Group).
Where do you live?
Nathaniel: I presently live in Singapore.
What most excites you about working with SHOAL?
Nathaniel: Having worked on SHOAL/ASAP’s Strategic Framework to accelerate urgent action for Southeast Asia’s Critically Endangered freshwater fish in the past, what excites me the most is the opportunity to personally witness and help drive the protection of these oft-ignored but critical species. I am also enthusiastic about exploring the potential of roping in the expertise and interests of home hobbyists and zoos and aquaria, which could provide targeted and significant contributions to the protection of freshwater fishes.
What will your role on the team be?
Nathaniel: As the Southeast Asia Programme Coordinator, I will be managing and coordinating SHOAL’s efforts in Southeast Asia, working closely with a wide range of conservation partners (governments, scientists, communities, NGOs) with a focus on Critically Endangered species.
Gunung Halimun, Java
What do you find most interesting about freshwater species conservation?
Nathaniel: What makes freshwater species conservation challenging is also what makes it interesting: ever-growing human usage and extraction coupled with the fragility of freshwater ecosystems means that much innovation and persistence will be required to drive meaningful change. No two conservation challenges are ever going to be the same – which makes for a professional journey that is ever changing and never boring!
Do you have a favourite fish?
Nathaniel: This is too difficult of a question to answer! If I was forced to choose – maybe Parosphromenus tweediei. There’s just something about those stripes.
Request for Proposals: Asia-Pacific – Fonseca Species Conservation Fund
Request for Proposals:
Asia-Pacific – Fonseca Species Conservation Fund
The Fonseca Species Conservation Fund is now accepting proposals for amphibians, freshwater fish, primates, small mammals, and tortoises and freshwater turtles of the Asia-Pacific region.
The second request for proposals is now live for species of the Asia-Pacific region. Submission deadline: 15 December 2024.The next requests for proposals will open 15 January 2025 for species in the Americas.
About
The Fonseca Species Conservation Fund (FSCF) was established in 2024 by the GEF and Re:wild to honour the passion of the late Gustavo Fonseca, long-standing GEF Director of Programs, for species conservation and building capacity of the next generation of conservationists.
The FSCF is a component of the Fonseca Leadership Program providing grants to field projects that promote species conservation and that are led by early career conservationists from GEF-recipient countries. The Fund permits grants of up to $25,000 for conservation efforts in GEF-recipient countries that are directed at species groups in urgent need of intervention and conservation action.
The FSCF draws on the expertise of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Group and taxon-specific conservation groups to ensure all funding goes to priority projects, mobilises the expertise of existing review boards, and is part of a wider network of support – both funding and technical – for grantees.
Michael Köck European tour update 2: Rostock – Nuremberg, Germany
On 5 September I introduced Plan G to Rostock Zoo curator Jens Bohn and some of his colleagues. Our conservation idea was well received, the zoo wants to support Plan G and build up a Goodeid tank to promote Goodeid conservation.
In the afternoon, I had a meeting with Tim Schikora, the director of Schwerin Zoo. Although in previous correspondence with the zoo, they weren’t initially on board with participating in a freshwater fish conservation project, this changed during the meeting and the final outcome was similar to Rostock: an aquarium with Goodeids should tell the stories of threat, extinction, recovery and reintroduction, and the will to support Plan G financially was also shown. A really successful day!
I headed to Berlin on Friday 6 September. A meeting in the zoo’s aquarium was unexpectedly postponed, but this wasn’t a big problem as I planned to stay a few days in Berlin. The following day I presented Plan G to the local association of aquarists. A big success: further cooperation possibilities were discussed and Uwe Abraham, chair of the “1000-Arten-Projekt” and host of the event showed big interest in running a large Goodeid breeding facility in cooperation with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), simply by increasing the capacity of aquariums of their member zoos. Future talks will happen to see how this could be achieved.
1000 Arten Projekt, Berlin
After a touristic Sunday in Berlin, I met Tobias Kohl from Stiftung Artenschutz – a foundation that supports conservation projects globally – on Monday the 9th. I already sent an application to them weeks ago, so the visit was mostly to clarify questions about our application.
Directly after, I met Markus Klamt, curator of the Berlin Aquarium to make up for my postponed meeting from 6 September. As he spent several years in Vienna, my hometown, we had a lots to talk besides Plan G, but also our conservation project was discussed widely. I reached Leipzig later that day and slept in an apartment in the zoo.
On 10 September, I headed to the Bergzoo Halle/Saale, which is just 30 min away from Leipzig. The meeting with the director, Dennis Müller, and members of his team was great. He directly promised Plan G €5,000 annually for 2024 and for 2025, of course also in combination with an aquarium presenting Goodeids to the public.
Mike talking to Tim Schikora, director of Zoo Schwerin
In the afternoon, I met Ariel Jacken, the responsible curator of Leipzig Zoo, his curator colleague Till Rahm and members of the conservation team. Plan G was well received and I had to answer an hour of questions. After all, Leipzig has a very complex conservation strategy, which means that Plan G, which really caught their interest, needs to fit in the frame of this strategy. However, they want to support our plan, so Leipzig Zoo is eagerly looking for this possibility. Let’s cross fingers and wait for the next part of the trip, starting with Nuremberg Zoo in Germany.
Chouly: I am an interdisciplinary conservation scientist with expertise in freshwater fish ecology, community-based conservation, and capacity development. I have worked extensively in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake and the Lower Mekong River Basin, conducting research and leading conservation efforts. Throughout my career, I have held roles at the School for Field Studies-Cambodia programme, WWF-US, and BirdLife International, where I taught and researched freshwater fish ecology and conservation, managing grants, and developing local capacity.
Where do you live?
Chouly: I currently live in Virginia, United States of America, though I am originally from Cambodia.
What drew you to working with SHOAL?
Chouly: I was drawn to working with SHOAL because of its strong focus on conserving globally threatened freshwater fish species, a critical yet overlooked taxon. This role perfectly aligns with my passion and mission to make an impact on freshwater fish species and their ecosystems at the global level.
What excites you about freshwater species conservation?
Chouly: Growing up in Cambodia, where fish and freshwater ecosystems are integral to our lives and culture, I experienced firsthand the vital role of the rich diversity of fish species and their ecosystems, like the Tonle Sap Lake and Mekong River. Unfortunately, I also witnessed these fish and these systems’ increasing threats that often go unnoticed and lack the urgent attention they deserve. Seeing the incredible biodiversity and the growing threats facing them has motivated me to advocate for the conservation of freshwater species and their habitats.
What are you most looking forward to with this role?
Chouly: I am most looking forward to collaborating with communities, scientists, governments, NGOs, and private corporations to co-create long-term solutions for the recovery of the many globally threatened freshwater fish species and their ecosystems.
Do you have a favourite fish?
Chouly: It’s hard to choose, but I have a special connection to Schistura diminuta, the loach species I discovered during my Ph.D. research in Northeast Cambodia. It reminds me of how many species have yet to be discovered, yet they could become extinct before we get to know them if we do not work together to bring about conservation actions for freshwater fish species.
Michael Köck European tour update 1: Mexico City – Rostock, Germany
Den Bla Planet Aquarium, Copenhagen, Denmark
Michael Köck European tour update 1: Mexico City – Rostock, Germany
Michael Köck, Chair of Plan G: the initiative to save the highly threatened Goodeinae family of Splitfins in Mexico, is currently touring zoos, public aquaria and museums across Europe with the aim of engaging stakeholders in Plan G’s conservation plan. Here, he gives his first update on the trip.
Leaving Mexico on 27 August, I arrived the following day in Copenhagen, Denmark. Next day I took a connecting flight to Sandefjord, about 20 km west of Oslo, Norway. I got picked up by a friend who brought me to his farm in Porsgrunn where I spent two days acclimatising. He is a hobby fishkeeper who has been to Mexico a few times, so we spent those days talking a lot about fish, Mexico and Plan G.
Two more friends visited us and we created some really nice ideas around Plan G. For example, one of these guys works with several friends in a company that plans ecological and sustainably functioning cities and towns, and they would be very interested to work with Teuchitlán [the town where the Golden Skiffia was successfully reintroduced] on a pro bono basis. He wants to convince his partners to support Plan G financially.
On 31 August, we all went by car to Fiskebäckskil, Sweden where I gave a talk at the 50-year anniversary of the hobbyist organisation Poecilia Scandinavia about Plan G. More than 20 people from five countries joined the meeting and the talk was well received. Directly after, Poecilia Scandinavia donated €3,000 to Plan G and another €1,500 to the Aqualab in Morelia and asked me to write an article about Plan G for one of the next issues of their magazine.
Backstage breeding tank Zoogoneticus tequila, Malmö Museum, Malmö, Sweden
I headed to Malmö on 2 September, where I had a meeting with the leader of the Aquarium of the Malmö Museum, Jesper Flygare in the morning and gave a presentation about Plan G to him and the staff. The people were impressed by our conservation work and promised to help. The museum is run by the town of Malmö and the concept doesn’t allow any straight donations, but we agreed on making an exhibition with Goodeids and a donation function for visitors, as well as promoting Plan G to the local fish club. The aquarium already keeps two species of Goodeid and even runs an ex situ conservation project for one of them, so there is already a strong connection. My presentation was followed by the head animal keeper of the Tropikariet Indoor Zoo in Helsingborg, Jonas Östander, who got invited to my presentation by the Malmö Museum team. He invited me to present Plan G to his director who is interested in supporting new conservation projects. Though my schedule was very tight, I promised to find a time slot for the next day in the late afternoon.
Presenting in front of Poecilia Scandinavia, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
On 3 September, I paid a visit to the Den Blå Planet, Denmark’s biggest public aquarium. The head animal keeper Peter Petersen showed me around and I was impressed not only by the number of rare fish in their show tanks, but also to see huge colonies of several Goodeid species backstage. They have joined the EAZA Goodeid Ex Situ Program (EEP) and are focusing on ex situ conservation of many endangered fish species from many fish groups. I presented Plan G to Peter and he suggested he will present it to the board of directors to select Plan G to get funded by their conservation fund. Luckily, I prepared USB sticks with the Plan G logo in a little bag with Mexican sweets and a pen made of copper – a little gift from Santa Clara del Cobre near Lake Pátzcuaro for all my contacts on the tour. The USB sticks hold information about the “Guardianes del Río Teuchitlán” and SHOAL, as well as my Plan G presentation.
Starting at 14:00, I started for Helsingborg, knowing time would be tight for Tropikariet Zoo, as it closes at 17:00. Unfortunately, a taxi driver brought me to the wrong train station and I arrived 10 min too late. The zoo was informed but unfortunately no one could wait for me. I was however able to leave my little present with the USB stick, and I will for sure contact them after my return to Mexico.
On September 4 I took a ferry transfer from Trelleborg, Sweden to Rostock, Germany, where I have a visit to the local zoo scheduled for 5 September, and one to the zoo in Schwerin in the afternoon. I will let you know how these visits and the ones in Berlin thereafter went.
5 freshwater conservation highlights of 2024 (so far)
This year’s been one of our busiest yet, so take a midpoint deep dive into our most memorable moments so far.
Rediscovering the leopard barbel
In January we were thrilled to announce that the leopard barbel was been rediscovered by a team of ichthyologists in Türkiye, led by Cüneyt Kaya and Münevver Oral.
“We dropped everything and would have gone to the ends of the Earth to see this fish, this legend, alive in the wild.”
Münevver Oral, Assistant Professor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University
“With both the Batman River loach and now the leopard barbel, we have an obligation to mobilise conservation efforts to ensure neither becomes lost again.”
Cüneyt Kaya, Associate Professor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University
Our brand new range of collectible enamel pins are available in select aquarium stores across the UK – with donations going towards our SOS: Support Our Shoal campaign.
Designed to bridge the gap between the home aquarium community and impactful conservation of the world’s most threatened freshwater fish,SOS: Support Our Shoal provides a reliable channel for aquarists to direct vital funds to the freshwater species and ecosystems that need them most.
“SOS: Support Our Shoal is a rallying cry to those who care about what is happening to freshwater species and want to be part of the solution. This is a landmark time for the aquarium community, and collaborating with us is a demonstration that it is beginning to take conservation seriously.”
Mike Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL
You can find the pins at any of our brilliant partner aquarium stores across the UK:
A minnow hiding in a megacity, 7 Swiss whitefish, and a cavefish that eats out of people’s hands were highlighted in New Species 2023. In March we released our third annual New Species report, detailing the 243 freshwater fish species described in 2023.
“Awareness-raising is a critical part of the work needed to give these species a chance of survival, and it’s our hope and expectation that New Species reports will go some way to driving a greater appreciation for freshwater fish.”
In March the WWF and partners released a flagship report focussed on the dazzlingly diverse fishes of the Mekong.
The river is home to some of the world’s largest freshwater species and one of the smallest, but the species are under increasing threat.
With one-fifth already facing extinction, urgent action is needed to safeguard the future of these extraordinary fishes, as well as the people & ecosystems that depend on them.
In April we launched an ambitious new initiative to mobilise conservation action for 1,000 of Earth’s most threatened freshwater fish species by 2035.
The SHOAL Blueprint for Conservation Action for 1,000 Freshwater Fishes by 2035 is perhaps the single most ambitious conservstion framework in terms of species numbers ever written, and certainly our most ambitious project to date here at SHOAL.
“The Blueprint shows the level of ambition and determination we need to turn back the tide on the freshwater biodiversity crisis, and halt extinctions and recover populations of the world’s most threatened freshwater fish. It is collaborative to its core and puts local communities at the forefront of impactful conservation action. It is urgent that we now push on and mobilise the conservation actions outlined by The Blueprint – our planet’s freshwaters depend on them.”
Mike Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL
We are celebrating the launch with a photo competition, which ends Saturday 31st August 2024.
Catch up on SHOAL’s webinars to discuss April’s release of the 1,000 Fishes Blueprint.
Hear from Brian Zimmerman, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, Topiltzin Contreras-Macbeath, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, Rajeev Raghavan, Assistant Professor at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, and Mike Baltzer, SHOAL’s Executive Director as they discuss the Blueprint and some of the outstanding work already being done to mobilise conservation action for some of the Priority Fishes highlighted.
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