New Report Highlights ‘Catastrophic Decline’ In Freshwater Fish
Rivers, lakes and wetlands are some of the most biodiverse places on earth. Covering less than 1% of our planet’s total surface, they are home to just over half of the world’s freshwater fish species – 18,075 known species. One in three of these now face extinction.
Yesterday saw the end of this rainy season’s fishing ban within Zambia. This three month ban takes place every year during the peak fish breeding season, allowing the fish to safely breed and restock our rivers and lakes. When first announced last year, the ban initially was to be in place for six months. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Professor Nkandu Luo had said this had been done “to preserve the indigenous fish species that are becoming extinct due to indiscriminate fishing”.
This extension was withdrawn in early February, just before a new worldwide conservation report – The World’s Forgotten Fishes – was published. This report highlights that worldwide freshwater fish numbers have plummeted due to pollution, unsustainable fishing, and the damming and draining of our rivers and wetlands.
“Migratory fish populations have fallen by three-quarters in the last 50 years. During the same period, populations of larger species – the so-called ‘megafish’ – have crashed by a staggering 94 per cent. Nearly a third of all freshwater fish species are threatened by extinction” (WWF).
Locally, the Labeo worthingtoni fish species has recently become extinct in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Worldwide, 80 freshwater fish species are known to have become extinct – 16 species in the last year. Research shows that our remaining freshwater fish are now threatened by habitat degradation, pollution, over-abstraction of water for illegal irrigation practices, unsustainable mining, the introduction of invasive non-native species, illegal fishing and climate change. Within Zambia we have the challenge of fishermen using the wrong sizes and types of fishing nets, including the use of life-saving mosquito nets. These illegal nets take out even the tiniest of fish from our rivers, with the added factor of leaching pollutants into our waters, decimating our freshwater fish stocks.
Worldwide hundreds of millions of people rely on freshwater fish for food security and their livelihoods. It is thought freshwater fish provide food for 200 million people and livelihoods for 60 million people. These fish are also critical for the health of differing types of ecosystems, supporting food webs that include birds and mammals.
Zambia’s Freshwater Fish
Zambia has a rich diversity of freshwater fish species. Cichlids (Cichlidae) are one of the most diverse families of freshwater fish, with almost 2,000 known species. They are found in South America, with 1,600 species found in our Great African Lakes – Victoria, Malawi and Tanganyika.
African Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) are world renowned by anglers as being the number one fish to try and catch. Sports Anglers fly in to the Zambezi River system from around the world to ‘hook a tiger’, and this tourism revenue is a major source of income for local communities. Maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems that support healthy tigerfish populations, directly benefits our local communities.
Zambia has at least 40 species of endemic fish – you can find out more about Zambia’s fish species at www.arc.com
World’s Forgotten Fishes Report
Sixteen conservation groups, including WWF, London Zoological Society (ZSL), Global Wildlife Conservation and The Nature Conservancy have been working together to find solutions to save freshwater fish populations worldwide. Making observations in their a report, they say that there is some good news –
“We know what needs to be done: the world must implement an Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity.” (WWF)
Freshwater fish experts and scientists have developed a six part, science based plan, which can be implemented in countries around the world:
- Let rivers flow more naturally
- Improve water quality in freshwater ecosystems
- Protect and restore critical habitats
- End overfishing and unsustainable sand mining in rivers and lakes
- Prevent and control invasions by non-native species
- Protect free-flowing rivers and remove obsolete dams
“Only by implementing this plan, which is echoed in the Convention on Biological Diversity 5th Global Biodiversity Outlook, can we hope to restore the world’s freshwater ecosystems and reverse decades of decline in freshwater fish populations. By committing to this plan, countries can enhance the health of their rivers, lakes and wetlands – and secure the future of their fish and fisheries.” (WWF)
You can find out more and download their full report from WWF’s website – The World’s Forgotten Fishes
Main Photo – Fish seller at Luangwa Bridge market, Zambia © James Suter, Black Bean Productions, WWF-US