Migratory freshwater fish are in trouble: Will we act in time to save them?
Migratory freshwater fish populations have declined by 81% since 1970, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods dependent on rivers like the Amazon, Mekong, and Congo. Dams, habitat loss, and water extraction are disrupting migration routes essential for spawning and feeding. A new assessment at the Convention on Migratory Species identifies 325 species in urgent need of coordinated conservation efforts.
- ▪Migratory freshwater fish have declined by 81% globally since 1970.
- ▪The Convention on Migratory Species identified 325 migratory fish species in need of urgent protection.
- ▪The dourada fish undertakes the longest-known freshwater migration, traveling up to 11,600 kilometers between the Andes and the Amazon estuary.
- ▪In Brazil’s Pantanal, fishers report declining sizes and numbers of species like the pintado and dorado.
- ▪Migratory fish support food security and local economies across major river basins worldwide.
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Migratory freshwater fish have declined by an estimated 81% since 1970 yet remain largely overlooked in global conservation policy. At the latest meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), a new assessment identified 325 species worldwide in urgent need of coordinated protection.These long-distance swimmers underpin inland fisheries that feed hundreds of millions of people across the Amazon, Mekong, Congo and other river basins. By moving through river systems, they connect habitats, sustain food webs and support local economies.Dams, water extraction and habitat loss are rapidly severing migration routes, often cutting off access to spawning and feeding grounds.
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