Significant Drop in Migrating Fish Species Populations Sparks Global Fight for Safeguarding

Aquatic species that make massive journeys through rivers, lakes, and ponds are grappling with a converging risk from human-made barriers, contaminants, and excessive harvesting preventing them from arriving at their breeding sites.

Species like the Himalayan mahseer and giant devil catfish are among thirty priority fish species which have now been selected for global preservation by the UN in a new study.

"These aquatic species support hundreds of millions of communities worldwide, so for societies, they're very important," said a co-author scientist on the report.

A group of international scientists examined over 15,000 species of migrating freshwater species – which represent half of all known fish – and determined their populations had dropped by an staggering 81% in the last half century.

The authors stated that for far too long, this category of species has been overlooked but "represent an essential part of community economies."

Overfishing and Habitat Loss

The shorter list is comprises fish that are both endangered and also valued culturally for worldwide communities.

"As an instance, the golden mahseer is an symbolic fish of the Himalayas. A great many people in that area value that fish for traditional and sacred practices that transcend monetary worth," commented a conservation advocate who contributed to the report.

Like many fish on the list, it is experiencing two primary dangers: overfishing and environmental destruction.

"Environmental degradation includes things like obstructions that break up a river system, and can disrupt the normal water flow of a river, which results in fish not being able to connect to their breeding areas," the scientist added.

Interruption to migratory routes is an challenge that is notably prevalent in some continents, where fish come across a barrier to their paths frequently.

Often the barriers are minor culverts or weirs that are unnecessary and could be removed, explained an conservation charity head.

But the collective impact on migratory fish is enormous: "It can have a significant impact in terms of the strength fish are expending to pass the [barriers]."

That makes them more vulnerable to illness. They're more inclined to get eaten. They will spawn in poor areas."

Conservation Success

Most species will cross national boundaries on their mammoth journeys. This requires joint work between nations to combat these threats and guarantee the recovery of national stocks, said a report contributor.

The global treaty on migratory species is a international United Nations treaty created in 1979 which requires signatories to collaborate to conserve migrating species of every type.

The United Nations is now proposing that the thirty priority species be included to the convention at its annual meeting in three years' time.

The Saiga antelope is an example of a species that has profited from being listed under the convention.

Following a population crash, an global anti-poaching initiative was formed and since then numbers have rebounded significantly.

"Conservation efforts has clearly been on some of the more charismatic species, such as whales," commented a high-ranking conservation official.

She said it was now the opportunity of these aquatic migrants to benefit from similar action.