The World's Forgotten Fishes

DID YOU KNOW that over half of all fish species live in freshwater? 

According to "The World's Forgotten Fishes", a new report by the World Wildlife Foundation, "Freshwater biodiversity is declining at twice the rate of that in our oceans or forests. Indeed, 80 species of freshwater fish have already been declared ‘Extinct’ by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, including 16 in 2020 alone. Meanwhile, populations of migratory freshwater fish have fallen by 76 per cent since 1970 and mega-fish by a catastrophic 94 per cent."

Here in the Finger Lakes, we are not seeing many threatened species of fish, or extinctions.  That's good.  But, we don't even depend on our freshwater fish as a commercial food supply.  It turns out however, that around the world, freshwater fisheries provide the main source of protein for 200 million people across Asia, Africa and South America, as well as jobs and livelihoods for 60 million people. Wow!

To learn more, go to the report home page to fine the full report and an accompanying slide show.