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.

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

Let’s talk about the malabar rotala

A photograph of malabar rotala, a freshwater plant with lots of small, long and thin green leaves and small red and pink flowers.

Checking out one of our Fantastic Freshwater plant species this International Plants Appreciation Day.

We’re giving some love to our Fantastic Freshwater plants this International Plant Appreciation Day.

Just 5% of all plants live in freshwaters, but they are absolutely vital to these ecosystems – and the species that call them home – surviving and thriving.

Plants oxygenate water, reduce flood risk, support nutrient cycling, and remove pollutants. They’re really doing some heavy lifting to keep our freshwater fresh!

Meet malabar rotala

With its characteristic small pink and red flowers, malabar rotala (Rotala malabarica) is a beautiful plant native to the Kannur District in Kerala, India, from where it was described in 1990.

The species has in fact only been recorded in a total of 22 ponds, with more than half of the known population in a single pond. One pond with half the population!

The Western Ghats – home to the Denison’s barb – runs along the coast of western India. The range of mountains support a very wide range of wetland-dependent plants, and represent one of the global centres of diversity of aquatic and wetland plants.

A photograph of malabar rotala, a freshwater plant with lots of small, long and thin green leaves and small red and pink flowers.
© Vinayaraj, via Wikimedia

Now the bad news

Malabar rotala is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s 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.

Wetlands are very sensitive ecosystems and rely on specific environmental conditions; any disruption of these specific conditions can pose serious threats to freshwater flora. Threats to malabar rotala include:

  • Leakage of waste and habitat destruction from mining
  • Quarrying of the laterite bedrock which hold the seasonal pools where it occurs

Herbicide pollution from nearby cashew plantations

A photograph of malabar rotala, a freshwater plant with lots of small, long and thin green leaves and small red and pink flowers.
© Vinayaraj, via Wikimedia

Turning the tide

Unfortunately there are currently no conservation actions in place to protect and restore the malabar rotala.

As with other freshwater plants, more research is needed to  increase our knowledge of its ecology, threats, habitat and population trends, so that effective conservation actions can be taken.

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

*The Fantastic 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.

SHOAL Phase One report released

SHOAL Phase One report cover

SHOAL’s Phase One report highlights many of our achievements from the past four years and outlines our strategy and aims for the coming decade.

SHOAL’s Phase One report showcases some of SHOAL’s main achievements since the initiative’s conception in 2019. Inside, you can learn about the suite of programmes across five continents that we have launched, the development of two new NGOs we’ve been instrumental in helping with, the SOS: Support Our Shoal campaign we’ve rolled out to provide a reliable and trustworthy mechanism for the aquarium hobby to engage in conservation, and much, much more.

The report draws attention to our brilliant Local Action Partners and Strategic Partners, and shines a light on the stories surrounding the search for the fat catfish and the reintroduction to the wild of the golden skiffia.

“We are proud that we are recognised globally in conservation circles as an important actor in freshwater species conservation, that we have established programmes across five continents, and that we have built powerful partnerships with leading organisations who have been and will continue to be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals of protecting and restoring freshwater habitats and conserving the most threatened freshwater species globally”.

Michael Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL

There is, of course, much work to be done. This first phase is just the start of a strategy of work leading up to 2032, all efforts of which will support the achievement of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s New Global Framework for Managing Nature Through 2030, the UN Decade of Restoration, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals targets

Read the report here

SHOAL's Phase One report front cover
SHOAL’s Phase One report front cover

New roadmap sets the course for urgent conservation of freshwater fishes in Southeast Asia

A photograph of a purple, blue and black iridescent fish. Betta cracens is a peat swamp forest freshwater fish species from Indonesia, identified to have high potential for successful ex situ conservation Freshwater conservation Southeast Asia.

Major report published today by the IUCN Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP), Mandai Nature and SHOAL.

Today marks the release of The Strategic Framework to Accelerate Urgent Conservation Action for ASAP Freshwater Fishes in Southeast Asia, a new roadmap which sets the course for the urgent conservation of freshwater fishes in Southeast Asia.

The IUCN has identified 90 freshwater fishes on the brink of extinction in the region, across 11 countries including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

The aim of this new roadmap is to see all 90 Critically Endangered ASAP freshwater fishes receiving active conservation efforts by 2030.

“Southeast Asia is the world’s hotspot for highly threatened species. This framework provides the direction and clarity required to focus and catalyse action to bring the most threatened freshwater fishes back from the brink of extinction.”

Michael Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL

Freshwater habitats are home to 51% of all known fish species, yet one third of freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction – making them one of the most highly threatened taxa globally.

Southeast Asia alone is home to 30% of global freshwater fish species, making up 15 of the 16 fish species declared extinct in 2020.

“The lack of targeted conservation action requires a ramp up of support and funding for these overlooked species.”

Dr Sonja Luz, CEO, Mandai Nature

The framework identifies rapid loss and degradation of natural habitats as the primary threat to nearly all Critically Endangered freshwater fishes. Many of these habitats are shared across borders, highlighting the vital need for cross-country cooperation to achieve meaningful conservation impact.

“Collective efforts across Southeast Asia are urgently needed and are crucial to halt declines immediately.”

Nerissa Chao, Director, IUCN SSC ASAP

The Strategic Framework to Accelerate Urgent Conservation Action for ASAP Freshwater Fishes in Southeast Asia is a collaboration between SHOAL, the IUCN Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP), and Mandai Nature.

The Strategic Framework

The front cover of A Strategic Framework to accelerate urgent conservation action for ASAP Freshwater Fishes in Southeast Asia. Blue with lots a fish at the top and logos at the bottom.

Let’s talk about the Nubian flapshell turtle

A photograph of the Nubian flapshell turtle, a large grey-brown smooth turtle, in the wild.

It’s World Turtle Day so we want to shellebrate one of our Fantastic Freshwater species!

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of Africa’s largest freshwater turtles.

Found in fragmented pockets of habitat from West Africa to Sudan, this gentle giant hadn’t been seen in the wild for decades. That was until 2017 when it was rediscovered in South Sudan.

Meet the Nubian flapshell turtle

The Nubian flapshell turtle is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s 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 Nubian flapshell turtle are largely a result of degradation of their habitat. However a study published in Oryx in 2021 established a new threat, one that could push the species (with its already small population size) towards extinction.

Interviews with more than 300 local fishermen about the species revealed that four Nubian flapshell turtles captured around Mongalla, South Sudan, were sold to expatriate Chinese residents, who paid up to EUR 400 per turtle for food. The high price creates a strong incentive for the fishing communities in the area to catch these turtles and there are fears the Nubian flapshell turtle could suffer the same fate of other turtle species exploited for the Asian food market.

The species is being threatened by:

  • Habitat destruction from sand mining, damming, channelisation, and pollution
  • The species is collected for human consumption

A photograph of the Nubian flapshell turtle, a large grey-brown smooth turtle, in the wild.

Monitor and protect

The Nubian flapshell turtle needs urgent action. Despite the species’ conservation status being Critically Endangered, it is not currently protected or regulated under any international legislation.

The authors of the 2021 study recommend the creation of a protected area for this species. Following surveys of population status, trends, and distribution, they also advise monitoring and mitigating the potential detrimental effects that the Asian export market may have on this species.

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

*The Fantastic 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.

1Luiselli, L., Dendi, D., Benansio, J.S., Demaya, G.S., & Stanford, C. B. (2021). An additional threat to the recently rediscovered Nubian flapshell turtle in South Sudan. Oryx, 55(4), 490-490

Catching up with PROGRES (Sulawesi)

A photograph of a man who works with our partner PROGRES in Sulawesi, standing on the back of a boat in a lake.

One year after announcing them as our newest partner, it’s time to check in with PROGRES, a conservation NGO in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

One year after announcing them as our newest partner, it’s time to check in with PROGRES (Sulawesi Regional Ecological Conservation Initiative), a conservation NGO in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

A little backstory

Led by two Sulawesi native women, Sheherazade and Asnim A. Lanusi, PROGRES fuses science with the power of locally-led conservation action to ensure the success and sustainability of their work.

Working with the Asian Species Action Partnership in the Lake Poso region of Sulawesi, considered to be one of the most important ecosystems for freshwater fish conservation in the world. PROGRES’ Fish Programme is focussed on the search for three Critically Endangered fish that are endemic to the lake.

  • Duck-billed buntingi (Adrianichthys kruyti)
  • Rosen’s buntingi (A. roseni)
  • Poso bungu (Mugilogobius amadi)

The sharp decline of each species has been thought to be a result of tectonic activities in the region in 1983, alongside the damage by invasive species through parasites and diseases (Parenti and Soeroto 2004).

A photograph of a man who works with our partner PROGRES in Sulawesi, sitting on a boat in a lake.
© PROGRES

Meet Chilo and Felix

A key part of PROGRES’ work is engaging with young people in the local community to be conservation champions and lead the conservation initiatives.
Chilo and Felix work with PROGRES in Sulawesi and have been integral to the search for the duck-billed buntingi, one of our Top 10 Most Wanted Lost Fishes.

Chilo: “Konservasi adalah memberi kehidupan, kesempatan berwawasan, memberi kesadaran ada yang hampir hilang, untuk itu konservasi harus cepat dilakukan sebelum semuanya terlambat.”

Chilo: “Conservation is about nurturing life, an opportunity to learn, raising awareness that something is almost gone, for that conservation must be done quickly before it’s all too late.”

Felix: “Konservasi bagi saya adalah merawat lingkungan hari ini untuk kehidupan besok yang lebih baik.”

Felix: “Conservation for me is caring for today’s nature for a better life tomorrow.”

PROGRES are working in collaboration with fishermen around Lake Poso too, surveying 21 villages and one city to understand local livelihood, the dependence on Lake Poso and the importance of the fishes to local communities beyond their economic value.

Three fishermen, Om Pedi, Papa Jems, and Ngkai Iki, actively joined PROGRES’ survey activity, alongside 11 local youth. These fishermen and young people have become messengers explaining what the program was about to other parts of the communities.

A photograph of Lake Poso, taken by PROGRES in Sulawesi.
© PROGRES

What have PROGRES been up to?

Extensive surveys have been conducted every month to look for the ASAP targeted fish species. In total, 18 surveys were conducted in water areas in front of Bancea, Leboni, and mainly Peura, Dulumai, and Tolambo villages.

Let’s talk about the Diadem lady’s mantle

A photograph of the Diadem lady’s mantle plant, green spiky leaves in a star shape.

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

We’re giving some love to our Fantastic Freshwater plants this International Plant Appreciation Day. Plants are vital components of freshwater systems, oxygenating the water reducing flood risk, supporting nutrient cycling, and removing pollutants. They’re really doing some heavy lifting to keep our freshwater fresh!

Meet the Diadem lady’s mantle

The Diadem lady’s mantle (Alchemilla diademata) is a beautiful plant is native to Lebanon. Its regal name is inspired by the way its leaves form a crown-like shape around the stem.

The Diadem lady’s mantle has an interesting history of use in traditional medicine. Used for centuries as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments, from digestive issues to menstrual problems, some even believe the plant is anti-aging.

The plant has recognised antimicrobial properties, and is used as an effective medicine against Staphylococcus which can be associated with skin infections and food poisoning. It also appears to work as a significant repellant of silverleaf whitefly, an agricultural pest species.

A photograph of the Diadem lady’s mantle plant, green spiky leaves in a star shape.
© Hicham Elzein

Arise, threats

The Diadem lady’s mantle is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s 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.

Threats to the species are closely connected to its habitat preferences, with threats including:

  • Sandstone mining
  • Overgrazing by sheep, especially during the dry season

The Eastern Mediterranean Freshwater Assessment was concluded in 2014 and represents the first major assessment of the status of and threats to freshwater biodiversity, including plants, in the region. Although large parts of this region are semi-arid and arid in nature, it supports a diverse set of freshwater species and habitats which provide a wide variety of ecosystem services to the human population, including water, food, and income.

A photograph of the Diadem lady’s mantle plant, green spiky leaves in a star shape.
© Hicham Elzein

Heavy is the head

Unfortunately there are currently no conservation actions in place to protect and restore the Diadem lady’s mantle.

In an ideal world, the actions in place would include national regulations and ex situ conservation efforts.

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

*The Fantastic 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.

A photograph of the Diadem lady’s mantle plant, green spiky leaves in a star shape.
© Hicham Elzein

Let’s talk about the Kumejima firefly

A photograph of Kumejima firefly in a forest, leaving bright yellow streaks across the image.

Checking out one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

Meet the Kumejima firefly

In springtime, the nights in Kumejima are brought to life with the bright green glow of native fireflies. Discovered in 1993, the Kumejima firefly (Luciola owadai) is one of our (literally) flashier Fantastic Freshwater species.

With an adult life span of less than two weeks, impactful flirtation is critical for the nocturnal species. Males will travel in groups and emit their light in one burst to attract a mate. This display is as enchanting as it is effective, with females going on to lay an impressive 300-500 eggs, which emit a faint yellow glow.

A photograph of Kumejima firefly.
© Satou F

Shine a light on the threats

The Kumejima firefly is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s 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.

Found along the streams of Kume Island, the Kumejima firefly makes its home where the riverside vegetation is dense and covered by evergreen broadleaf trees. Like many of our Fantastic Freshwater species, threats to the Kumejima firefly are largely a result of degradation of their habitat.

The species is being threatened by:

  • The streams where the species lives have experienced decreased stream flow and deterioration of riverside vegetation due to water source development
  • A change in cultivated land from rice farming to sugar cane fields has caused the runoff of large amounts of red clay
  • Environmental changes causing a decrease in their prey, freshwater snails
A photograph of a group of lit up Kumejima fireflys.
© Satou F

Light at the end of the tunnel

Despite not yet being assessed for the IUCN Red List, the Kumejima firefly is on Japan National Red List (2016) with the Japan Ministry of the Environment describing the species as Critically Endangered.

Local action to conserve the species is led by the Kumejima Firefly Museum, established in 2000. The museum staff work alongside local volunteers to address the conservation needs of the species by recovering and maintaining the stream and biotope environments nearby.

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

*The Fantastic 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.

© Satou F