A new edifying data concerning the loss of biodiversity. Migratory fish populations have declined by more than 80% worldwide in around fifty years. This is what a study co-signed by the WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature reveals.
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This decline is particularly pronounced in Europe and in the region America Latin and Caribbean. In the latter, the index even fell by 90%. No quantified trend in Africadue to lack of consistent measurements, even if the authors of the report note reasons for concern.
Not all species are affected, but two-thirds of migratory fish species are declining.
Migratory freshwater fish play a crucial role in maintaining river health and sustaining countless communities around the world.🐟
But these amazing species are in free fall. Populations have crashed by 81% on ave since 1970 due to hydropower dams, overexploitation & more.
— WWF (@WWF) May 21, 2024
So why are our rivers less populated? This is often because they are less welcoming. Degradation, modification or loss of habitats constitute half of the threats encountered by migratory fish. Other culprits: overfishing, competition from invasive species, pollution and climate change.
Small notes of hope all the same: the average population of a third of species has on the contrary increased. And among those that are declining, the species that are the subject of measures are less severely affected.
The authors of the report therefore call for action. Among the options: remove certain barriers that obstruct waterways or install effective fish passages; fisheries management including, for example, exclusion zones.
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