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Africa’s Forgotten Fishes, a major new report, is released today. Led by WWF and supported by SHOAL and 16 other leading conservation organisations, this landmark publication puts the spotlight on the astonishing diversity of Africa’s freshwater fishes, the mounting threats they face, and the urgent action needed to save them.
Africa is home to at least 3,281 species of freshwater fish, from electric elephantfishes to ancient lungfishes and the spectacular cichlids of the Great Lakes. These species underpin entire ecosystems and support the daily lives of millions of people. In fact, Africa produces nearly 30% of the world’s wild freshwater fish catch – the highest per capita consumption of any continent – and employs more than 3 million people through inland fisheries.
But these vital species are vanishing fast.
Freshwater fish populations are plummeting across the continent due to habitat loss, pollution, invasive species, over-abstraction, damming, unsustainable fishing and climate change. Already, at least 26% of Africa’s freshwater fishes are threatened with extinction – and that’s likely a significant underestimate.
Too often, freshwater fishes have been left out of the conservation conversation. They remain invisible to many decision-makers, overlooked when it comes to infrastructure, land use and water policy, despite the enormous benefits they provide to food security, livelihoods and ecosystem health.
But there’s a path forward. Africa’s Forgotten Fishes outlines a science-backed Emergency Recovery Plan, adapted to African contexts, that includes six proven pillars: let rivers flow more naturally, improve water quality, protect and restore habitats, end unsustainable resource use, control invasive species, and safeguard remaining free-flowing rivers.
The report arrives at a moment of real opportunity. Twenty African countries have already signed onto the Freshwater Challenge – the largest global freshwater restoration initiative in history. And with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework now in play, countries have committed to protecting and restoring at least 30% of inland waters.
At SHOAL, we are proud to stand behind this report and its call for urgent, coordinated action. Africa’s freshwater fishes are not just biodiversity: they are life, culture, resilience and hope. We must act now, before more species slip away unnoticed.
👉 Read the full report here.
