Nearly a quarter of the world’s freshwater fish are at risk of extinction due to global heating, overfishing and pollution, according to a new expert assessment released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The study, which marks the first IUCN red list assessment of the category, revealed concerning trends regarding the decline of freshwater fish populations. From the large-toothed Lake Turkana robber in Kenya to the Mekong giant catfish in south-east Asia, many of the world’s freshwater fish are at risk of disappearing.
Nearly a fifth of all threatened freshwater species are affected by climate change, from impacts such as falling water levels, shifting seasons, and seawater moving up rivers. Out of 14,898 assessed species, 3,086 are at risk of vanishing.
In addition to the freshwater fish, the latest assessment also found that mahogany, Atlantic salmon, and green turtles were increasingly threatened. The mahogany, among the most commercially sought-after plants on the planet, is now classified as endangered after its numbers fell by 60% over the past 180 years due to unsustainable harvesting. The Atlantic salmon, previously classified as a species of least concern, is now near threatened on the IUCN red list after its global population fell by 23%. And central south Pacific and east Pacific green turtles are also at risk of vanishing as temperatures and ocean levels rise.
However, it’s not all bad news. The saiga antelope has moved up from the critically endangered category to near threatened after the population increased by 1,100% in just seven years, mainly in Kazakhstan. The reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx in Chad is another success story, with the population growing to 140 mature animals in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim faunal reserve in Chad.
Razan Al Mubarak, the president of IUCN, emphasized that coordinated conservation efforts have proven effective, citing the success stories of the saiga antelope and the scimitar-horned oryx. The reintroduction efforts have shown that conservation works, but it is crucial to tackle the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises in order to ensure the results are durable.
“Today’s update to the IUCN red list shows the power of coordinated local, national and international conservation efforts. Success stories such as that of the scimitar-horned oryx show that conservation works. To ensure the results of conservation action are durable, we need to decisively tackle the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises,” said Al Mubarak.
The study’s findings underscore the urgency and importance of protecting freshwater ecosystems from the threat of extinction. Kathy Hughes, co-chair of the IUCN species survival commission freshwater fish specialist group, highlighted the vital role of freshwater fishes in sustaining ecosystems, food security, livelihoods, and economies. She emphasized that ensuring well-managed, free-flowing freshwater ecosystems with sufficient water and good water quality is essential to stop species declines and maintain food security, livelihoods, and economies in a climate-resilient world.
The study serves as a wake-up call, calling for immediate and decisive action to address the global heating, pollution, overfishing, and falling water levels that are threatening the world’s freshwater fish populations. Failure to take action could lead to irreversible damage to freshwater ecosystems and pose significant risks to global biodiversity and the millions of people who rely on these ecosystems for their livelihoods.