Michael Köck European tour update: 4

© Mike Köck

Michael Köck European tour update 4: Stuttgart, Germany – Caen, France

On 23 September 23, I took an early train from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe Zoo, Germany. I was welcomed by Matthias Reinschmidt, the zoo’s director, who is passionate about birds, especially parrots. We spent the first hour talking about his breeding successes with rare parrot species, and then visited the aquarium, where he showed us a group of Ataeniobius toweri, a Goodeid species from San Luis Potosí, which the zoo keeps. He showed interest in Plan G and promised me that he would organise an exhibition for Goodeids and support the conservation plan financially once it had been set up.

After Karlsruhe, I travelled to Pforzheim to fulfil a promise: Weeks earlier, I had met a retired teacher who had spent several years in Mexico as a paleontologist and now dedicates himself to teaching science  to young people. One project was about the territorial behaviour, use of space and reproduction of Xenotoca doadrioi. I offered him the opportunity to talk to the children about Plan G and the species they keep, and he was very enthusiastic. Even the press was present and ‘Dino’, as he is called by his friends, organised a nice event. He also promised to support Plan G by organising a charity event by the end of the year to raise money. A big man with a big heart!

With Matthias Reinschmidt © Mike Köck
With Matthias Reinschmidt © Mike Köck

The following day I headed to Zurich, Switzerland. Holger Kraus, the curator in charge, welcomed me and gave me a tour of the zoo. There are some wonderful projects happening and lots of funding has been invested by donors. He has a great passion for fish and praised Plan G as ‘the blueprint for the One Plan approach’. Unfortunately, Zurich Zoo limits its financial support to only seven ongoing projects, without the possibility of adding another one or incorporating Plan G into one of them. But he offered me an interesting option: Zurich Zoo has excellent contacts with the Max Planck Institute, and he favours collaboration on a scientific project that is led and paid for by the zoo that involves artificial intelligence. This project would give us the opportunity, for example, to identify fish that we have released into the wild without having to physically tag them beforehand. A huge advantage, because we need nothing more than a high-resolution image of the fish before we start the reintroduction.

I then had to travel back to Stuttgart. Unfortunately, last-minute changes to the timetable made it necessary to travel there and back, but there was no way to change this. I was welcomed by Isabel Koch, the aquarium curator, and Stefanie Reska, the curator for conservation projects. The Wilhelma zoological-botanical garden, the full name of Stuttgart Zoo, has been supporting a Goodeid conservation project run by the Aquatic Biology Laboratory of the university of Morelia for several years, so this visit was essentially to give an account and provide first-hand information. But Plan G was so well received that Isabel and Stefanie decided to increase the amount of funding to support this project and they promised to use their contacts and influence to help increase our chances of funding and help us develop key elements to increase our impact. A very generous offer that I gladly accepted!

At the Wilhelma zoological-botanical garden © Mike Köck
At the Wilhelma zoological-botanical garden © Mike Köck

On 26 September, I travelled from Zurich to Basel by train. Together with Zurich Zoo, Basel Zoo is one of the two largest zoos in Switzerland. There I met a good old friend of mine, Fabian Schmidt, aquarium curator, and presented Plan G to him, staff from the entire zoo and the director. Plan G was again very well received, and Basel Zoo wants to support the project financially, but will have to wait until the position of conservation project curator is filled again early next year. More information will then be available. In the afternoon, I travelled by TGV train at a speed of more than 200 km per hour / 124 miles per hour to Paris and from there to the vicinity of Fontainebleau in the evening. The curator of L’Aquarium Tropical, Charles-Edouard Fusari, had invited me to spend the night with him and to travel to Paris with him the next morning to talk about Plan G.

 

Wilhelma © Mike Köck
Wilhelma © Mike Köck

In the morning of 27 September, Charles-Edouard and I visited L’Aquarium Tropical. He immediately promised me his support, but as the aquarium does not charge an entrance fee, he can only donate small amounts, he said between EUR 1,000 and 3,000 per year. I was happy to agree. Every coin counts, and any support is very welcome. I also gave him information about Plan G for Alexis Lecu from the Parc Zoologique de Paris. Alexis wanted to see me to talk about Plan G but was unavailable due to a veterinary congress in Canada. Fortunately, he is also the vet at L’Aquarium Tropical, so I took the opportunity to introduce him to Plan G via Charles-Edouard. In the evening, I took another train to travel to Caen on the coast of the English Channel. The plan for the next day was to take the ferry to Portsmouth in the morning, but the visits to the UK and finally Hungary will be part of the fifth and final travel report. Stay tuned!

Michael Köck European tour update: 3

Mike with Eric Diener, curator of Zoo Hellabrunn in Munich © Michael Köck

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.

Future Goodeid aquarium in Salzburg Zoo 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.

Nuremberg Zoo aquarium 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!

Michael Köck European tour update: 2

Rostock Zoo's Aquarium

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
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
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.

Stay tuned!

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
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
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.

Stay tuned!

Interview with Michael Köck – Plan G

Michael Köck discussing goodeid conservation.

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.”

Michael Köck

Michael and team in the field collecting goodeids in Mexico. Michael and team in the field collecting goodeids in Mexico.[/caption]

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.

Michael and colleagues
Michael and colleagues

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.

Michael and colleague in in the field.
Michael and colleague in in the field.

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.

Friday 04 October: Budapest Zoo (morning) and Tropicarium Budapest (afternoon).

Monday 07 October: Sosto Zoo (afternoon).

5 freshwater conservation highlights of 2024 (so far)

A photograph of a man and a woman in a river with a new, the man holds a fish in one hand.

This year’s been one of our busiest yet, so take a midpoint deep dive into our most memorable moments so far.

A photograph of a pale beige fish with brown spots underwater.

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

Last scientifically documented in 2011, the species is the second of our Most Wanted Lost Fishesto be rediscovered, after the Batman River loach was found by the same team in 2021.

“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

Find out more

A blue pin card with a brown fish with black stripes on it, along with the text "leopard corydoras, corydorus leopardus" on it, as well as logos for SHOAL and SHOAL's SOS: Support Our Shoal camapign. Underneath is a blue pin card with a blue, red and silver fish on it, along with the text "cardinal tetra, paracheirodon axelrodi" on it, as well as logos for SHOAL and SHOAL's SOS: Support Our Shoal camapign. Underneath is a blue pin card with an orange and black fish on it, along with the text "butterfly pleco, dekiseria brachyura" on it, as well as logos for SHOAL and SHOAL's SOS: Support Our Shoal camapign. These three cards are on top of a big neverending pile of the same three cards.

SOS: Support Our Shoal

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:

The Fish Barn – Crawley, Sussex

Fish Planet London – Finsbury Park

Friends In Soggy Homes – Leicester

Kings Aquatics – Ebbw Vale, Wales

Lincs Aquatics – Alford, Lincolnshire

Riverside Aquaria – Broxburn, West Lothian

Sweet Knowle Aquatics– Stratford-upon-Avon

The Goldfish Bowl – Oxford

Wharf Aquatics – Pinxton, Nottingham

Find out more

A photograph of a pink flesh coloured fish with no eyes and a horn protruding.

New Species Report 2023

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.”

Mike Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL

Find out more

Two large grey fish underwater.

Mekong Report

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.

Find out more

A photograph taken half above water and half below, with a shoal of brown fish under the water.

The 1,000 Fishes Blueprint

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.

Find out all about that here

Let’s talk about the rock threadtail

A photograph of a rock threadtail, a long black insect with very delicate wings.

For Insect Week we’re shining the spotlight on one of our finest Fantastic Freshwater insects.

Meet the rock threadtail

Perched on stones set in the rocky streams of eastern Zimbabwe is one of our most delicate fantastic freshwater species. First discovered in 2013 in Chimanimani National Park, the rock threadtail (Elattoneura lapidaria) was described in 2015, then listed as critically endangered in 2017.

This damselfly is found at whopping elevations, as high as 1500-1600m above sea level in the Chimanimani Mountains. Endemic to Eastern Zimbabwe, the species is only found in the Bundi Plain and Bundi Valley.

Damsel(fly) in distress

The rock threadtail is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOALs Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.

Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the rock threadtail are largely a result of degradation of their habitat – in this instance as a result of particularly prolific illegal gold mining activity.

Despite Chimanimani National Park being a protected area, more and more people are travelling to eastern Zimbabwe hoping to find gold, including the park rangers. The activity has caused great harm to the natural water sources and biodiversity of the region and poses a major threat to the future of the rock threadtail.

A photograph of the rock threadtail’s habitat, grassy mountains surrounding a stream.

Panning for solutions

At this stage further research of the habitat in Chimanimani National Park is needed, in order to address activities that are threatening the rock threadtail and develop a plan for meaningful conservation action.

If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservationdonate here and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox

*TheFantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.

El Pez Graso – The Greasefish (film)

Eremophilus mutisii

Our partners have produced a new film about the Search for the Fat Catfish.

Dive into Lake Tota on the Search for the Fat Catfish

Colombia’s fat catfish is one of freshwater’s great mysteries. Not seen since 1957, there are more layers of intrigue surrounding this creature than it has rings of fatty tissue – i.e. a LOT!

Firstly, nobody knows why it has that strange physiology: why is it fat? Could it be from overeating? Or a way to stay warm in the cold mountain waters of Colombia’s Páramo? It could be something else entirely, but with only 10 preserved specimens in the world, and no live sightings of the species for more than 70 years, it is incredibly challenging to know.

And what happened to the species? It was allegedly once so common that people living near Lake Tota used the grease from the fish to light their homes. Yet the species seems to have disappeared without trace. Nobody knows why. Through SHOAL’s Search for the Fat Catfish with partners from Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos at Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad De Los Andes, and Re:wild, we attempt to find answers to some of these questions. Using eDNA metabarcoding and more traditional search techniques, our partners are working to put pieces of the puzzle together and give us some clues about the fat catfish.

 

Carlos Lasso and the dive team

Dr. Carlos Lasso and the dive team © Carlos Lasso.

Lake Tota

Lake Tota © Ictiología y Cultura.

Diving at the depths of Lake Tota.

Diving deep in Lake Tota © Carlos Lasso.

4 Freshwater Films You Need To Stream

A person in a red fish costume and snorkel lying face down on rocks next to water.

Freshwater film made it all the way to the BAFTAs this year – here’s more freshwater films you can check out today.

Freshwater made it to thes earlier this year, thanks to an acclaimed film by Karni Arieli and Saul Freed.

Wild Summon(nominated for Best Animated Short) combines animation with live-action underwater photography to tell the dramatic life cycle of the wild salmon in human form – her fight for survival as she migrates from a freshwater river to the open ocean – and then all the way back to her birthplace to spawn her young.

Narrated by Marianne Faithfull, the filmmakers describe Wild Summon as a “natural history fantasy”.

“If you watch the film without the sound, it might look like some sort of science-fiction film about creatures that live underwater. If you do the opposite – if you just listen to the voiceover – then it’s a straight natural history documentary”, Freed says.
The arresting film has won multiple awards since it premiered at the Cannes film festival last year, as well as being nominated for a Palme d’Or, shortlisted for an Academy Award, and up for a BAFTA.

If Wild Summon has got you falling down the freshwater film rabbit hole too, here’s more you can check out today!

Artifishal: The Fight To Save Wild Salmon (2019), Blue Heart: The Fight For Europe’s Last Wild Rivers (2018), DamNation: The Problem With Hydropower (2014)

We’ve cheated a bit here because number 1 on our list is actually three films. Patagonia have made three films about freshwater issues, with the goal to spark dialogue and encourage change.

Artifishal: The Fight To Save Wild Salmon (2019) is a film about people, the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. The film explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.

Blue Heart: The Fight for Europe’s Last Wild Rivers (2018) is a shocking look at the tsunami of dam development in the Balkan Peninsula, as the construction of 3,000 proposed hydropower developments threaten to destroy the last wild rivers in Europe.

The majestic cinematography of DamNation: The Problem with Hydropower (2014) highlights the destructive effect of obsolete dams on healthy river ecosystems and habitats, as well as rivers splashing back to life when the infrastructure is removed.

HOW TO WATCH: Watch Artifishal, Blue Heart and DamNation on YouTube for free.

The Ghosts of Table Mountain (2022)

The Ghosts of Table Mountain (2022) is an intimate look at the Table Mountain Ghost Frog by Freshwater Films.

The short documentary reveals the secret lives of the critically endangered frog – one of SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater species – as well as other freshwater creatures who depend on South Africa’s ancient, rocky beacon of biodiversity Table Mountain, including caddis-flies and Cape galaxias.

A story of conservation, collaboration and hope – the filmmakers aim to introduce viewers to the rare and beautiful amphibian, as well as the threats that are impacting the rivers and streams it calls home.

HOW TO WATCH: Watch on YouTube for free

The Worth of Water: A Great Lakes Story (2020)

The great lakes are Earth’s largest freshwater system, holding around 20% of the planet’s surface freshwater and home to more than 35,000 species of flora and fauna.

This feature length documentary by Julia Robson and Alyssa Armbruster follows the co-creators of Walk to Sustain Our Great Lakes as they embark on a 343 mile walk from the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI, all the way to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

HOW TO WATCH: Watch on YouTube for free

Freshwater Invertebrates (2020)

Filmmakers Ferenc Kriska and György Kriska put the spotlight on some of the most important, but overlooked, species in the freshwater ecosystem in this short documentary.

If you only have half an hour to spare, spend it diving into the secret worlds of a range of invertebrate fauna of the wetland – including pond skaters, mayflies and water spiders.

HOW TO WATCH: Watch on YouTube for free

New Blueprint for Conservation Action for 1,000 fishes by 2035

Photograph of shoal of fish underwater with water line bisecting the shot.

SHOAL has launched an ambitious new initiative to mobilise conservation action for 1,000 of Earth’s most threatened freshwater fish species by 2035.

Conservation action for 1,000 freshwater fishes by 2035? There’s a reason for conservation optimism. Keep scrolling to learn more about one of our most ambitious campaigns to date.

In April we launched the SHOAL Blueprint for Accelerated Conservation Action for 1,000 Freshwater Fishes by 2035, an exciting and ambitious new initiative that will place at least 1,000 threatened freshwater fishes on the path to recovery by 2035.

It’s not just a plan for 1,000 fishes. It’s a plan for hundreds of critical freshwater habitats, vital to thousands of other species and communities – very often the poorest on the planet – that rely on these fish and the freshwater habitats for their everyday lives.

The Blueprint was pulled together with the expert support and guidance from SHOAL partners the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group (FFSG) and IUCN Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team (BAKT).

Freshwater fishes have been largely neglected in conservation planning and yet the ecosystems they inhabit are vital to the survival of the planet.  The incredible diversity of freshwater fishes in only 1% of the Earth’s surface area represents more than half of fish diversity overall.  The Blueprint is therefore an extremely welcome and important call to action to halt the loss of so many species under the threat of extinction.

Brian Zimmerman, Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group

The blueprint was launched in April at an event kindly hosted by the Fishmongers’ Company at Fishmongers’ Hall in London, where SHOAL‘s executive director Mike Baltzer presented how the crucial initiative will mobilise collaborative conservation efforts for global conservation impact.

Michael Baltzer on stage talking next to a screen in a nice looking room. A table with lots of blue flyers for the SHOAL blueprint on. A nice room with a big chandelier in the middle that looks like a massive shoal of fish swimming in a circle.

The Blueprint is a fundamental framework to Phase Two of SHOAL‘s strategy, and will define the organisation’s work for the coming decade. It is wildly ambitious – perhaps the single most ambitious conservation framework in terms of species numbers ever written*!

*We’d welcome people pointing us in the direction of a more ambitious framework!

Freshwater fishes are slipping through the net of conservation and are silently sinking towards extinction. The Blueprint identifies which species need urgent attention and how to cost effectively and collaboratively implement conservation action at scale to ensure at least 1,000 species are under suitable conservation action within a decade. This is the scale of action required to save freshwater fishes and the time to act is now.

Barney Long, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies, Re:wild

This Blueprint is the level of ambition that is desperately needed to make up for the damage caused by decades of neglect in the world’s freshwaters, and to ensure they are conserved and protected long into the future. With funding and support from those able to offer it, it is very much achievable.

Hear what our partners say about working with SHOAL, and why the Blueprint is so critical 👇

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.

Michael Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL

For freshwaters, the time for action is now.

Together – as a strong and determined shoal – we’ll show that collaborative conservation can change the trajectory for freshwater fishes and save the world’s freshwater ecosystems.

Read the blueprint here 👇

SHOAL Blueprint for 1,000 Fishes
SHOAL Blueprint for 1,000 Fishes