A recent study highlighted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reveals alarming statistics: approximately 25% of freshwater fish species are facing extinction due to the compounded pressures of climate change and pollution.
The study, part of the latest Red List of Threatened Species, underscores how factors like altered water cycles, including decreasing water levels and the intrusion of seawater into rivers due to rising sea levels, pose significant threats to these aquatic species.
In a comprehensive examination specifically focused on freshwater fish, the IUCN identified over 3,000 out of nearly 15,000 species as being at risk.
Among these vulnerable species is the Atlantic Salmon, known for its ability to navigate both freshwater and saltwater habitats. Its global population decline of 23% between 2006 and 2020 prompted a downgrade from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Near Threatened’ status. The decline was attributed to various factors, including mortality caused by salmon lice originating from farms and the proliferation of invasive species.
Kathy Hughes, co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, emphasized the necessity of effectively managing freshwater ecosystems to ensure sustained species populations, food security, livelihoods, and robust economies in the face of a climate-stressed world.
The urgency to maintain free-flowing freshwater bodies with adequate water quality remains critical to prevent further declines in species.
Another concerning case highlighted by the IUCN study is the ‘Large-toothed Robber’ species native to Kenya’s Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake globally.
This species has dropped two categories to ‘Vulnerable’ due to a combination of habitat dehydration induced by climate change and reduced water flows resulting from dam construction.
Despite these alarming findings, there is a glimmer of hope in conservation efforts.
The Scimitar Oryx, once considered extinct in the wild, has seen a resurgence, with successful reintroduction efforts in Chad resulting in the birth of hundreds of calves, as reported by the IUCN.
