Western Daily Press (Saturday)
SALMON AMONG THREATENED FISH SPECIES
SEVEN species of fish are at risk of extinction in Britain’s waters, according to researchers.
A team from the University of Hull has classified the European eel and allis shad as ‘critically endangered’; Atlantic salmon – which spawn in Westcountry rivers – vendace and European whitefish as ‘endangered’; and Arctic charr and twaite shad as ‘vulnerable’, in what they say is the first formal assessment of extinction risk for fish in this country.
These fish made up seven of the 34 species assessed in a Natural England-funded study which used the globally recognised International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species categories and criteria.
Richard Noble, Research Associate at the University of Hull’s International Fisheries Institute, said the study highlights the threats to native freshwater and migratory fishes in Britain’s rivers and the results provide an “important barometer” of environmental quality and biodiversity.
He said: “It is a red flag and formalising the assessment of the species in our waters is an important step in protecting freshwater environments.”
Dr Noble said that even the 25 species categorized as Least
Concern are thought to be considerably less abundant than they were. “The results have formalised the evidence surrounding the historic and ongoing declines in some of our freshwater fishes,” he said.
“Our study outlines, species by species, the evidence for their declines and the threats they face. This can be used to inform what actions should be taken to preserve and restore these populations and the important river and lake habitats they rely on.” The scientists reviewed data for the populations, ranges and habitat status of native freshwater fish, including those that migrate between marine and fresh water. The study, published in the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater
Ecosystems, concludes that multiple factors are at play in the populations declines, including climate change causing water temperatures to rise and flows to become more unpredictable.
It also points to the “legacy of extensive habitat degradation in rivers and lakes”, which includes pollution and channel modifications.
Dave Ottewell, from Natural England, said: “We often think of individual well-known, iconic fish species when considering conservation actions, however, what this research highlights is the need to consider our whole native fish community and how the restoration of their supporting freshwater habitats is essential.”
Colin Bean, NatureScot’s Fish and Fisheries Interactions Manager, said: “Atlantic salmon are - in Scotland as elsewhere experiencing significant declines in the number of returning adult fish.”
The research team said that fresh water is considered the most threatened environment on Earth, and it is estimated freshwater species declined by 83% between 1970 and 2012. They said that at least 81 species of freshwater fish have been declared extinct, including 16 since 2020.