Report: The World's Forgotten Fish

For contact details and further information, please visit our international website at www.panda.org The World’s Forgotten Fishes page 3 © Shane Kalyn FOREWORD World ignores freshwater fish at their peril – and ours We’re entering a critical time During the same period, populations of for the future of the planet, and larger species – the so-called ‘megafish’ – the nations of the world finally hav. [...] But few people have any idea of the unimaginable diversity that swims below the surface of the world’s freshwater ecosystems or how critical these undervalued and overlooked freshwater fishes are to the health of people and nature around the world. [...] Roggo / Roggo.ch INTRODUCTION 1% 51% OF AQUATIC OF KNOWN FISH HABITAT IS SPECIES ARE FOUND FRESHWATER IN FRESHWATER Figure 1: Approximately 1% of the earth’s of the canary in the coalmine for the surface area is freshwater and 71% is marine, world’s rivers, lakes and wetlands. [...] recreational fishery is poorly managed and notice problems in their local rivers and world’s anglers – tens of millions of them The decline of big fish is happening right in front of us, and this is often because of can include the introduction of invasive lakes – and are among the most proactive – cast their voices in support of efforts uncontrolled removal of fish, which has a very rapid effect. [...] People’s Cambodia, the national Water Festival lives have long been shaped by the life marks the annual reversal of the flow cycles of fishes and the pulsing flows of of the Tonle sap river and the flooding the rivers they live in, from traditional of Tonle Sap lake, which transports fishers on Lake Oguemoué in Gabon to essential nutrients to the lake and fuels those on the Tonlé Sap in Cambodia,.