The SHOAL is the global ecosystem of partners and collaborators who work together to safeguard the health of Earth's freshwater habitats and conserve the most threatened freshwater species. As with a shoal of fish, the strength of the SHOAL lies with the number of partners all working together.
Blueprint for Conservation Action for 1,000 Freshwater Fishes
SHOAL's flagship initiative sets out a plan for how significant collaborative conservation effort can lift freshwater fishes and potentially thousands of other neglected freshwater species to a new elevated platform of conservation attention and greatly enhance freshwater conservation efforts globally.
“Discovering and describing new species completes our knowledge about the diversity of life on Earth.”
Roberto Esser dos Reis, is a Brazilian ichthyologist, professor and Curator of Fishes at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. With his students and collaborators, he has described 151 new taxa (including 139 new species), 17 new genera, and one new subfamily of fish.
In 2022 alone, he described eight species and one genus of freshwater fish, which are highlighted in New Species 2022. He also discovered a further six freshwater fish species that will likely be described over the coming years.
What do you most enjoy about discovering and describing species?
ROBERTO: What moves me is revealing undetected biodiversity and studying their phylogenetic relationships. Discovering and describing new species completes our knowledge about the diversity of life on Earth and allows for adequate conservation planning. Revealing their phylogenetic relationships – the part I like the most – uncovers the diversification of the group and brings to light explanations on evolution, biogeography and phylogeography of organisms.
Can you talk about the process of describing a species?
ROBERTO: This is not a simple process. It usually takes many years of detailed study of a museum or other biodiversity collection, careful fieldwork, and lots of reading of specialised literature.
Once you have the expertise, you must compare newly collected specimens (or those residing in a collection) with type-specimens (those previously used to describe species) and published descriptions. Then you will be able to find the subtle differences that can tell independent evolutionary lineages (i.e. species) apart.
In the last 20 or so years, the possibility of using DNA segments to help this process has improved our ability to detect such lineages and demonstrate they are evolving independently. This is the process of discovering undescribed diversity. Describing and publishing is a much simpler process that also requires some expertise and training. I am proud of having trained many grad students in both parts of the process.
Can you talk through a particularly memorable species discovery?
ROBERTO: Back in 2003 I was conducting fieldwork in the Ucayali River in Peru, and I knew from European aquarium magazines of a new species of Otocinclus (a small suckermouth catfish) from that region. I spent around two weeks looking for this and other fishes and could not find it. At the end of the expedition, I was with my team at the harbor in Jenaro Herrera to take the boat back to Iquitos, and suddenly a local fish collector for the aquarium trade arrived at the harbor with dozens of flat, wooden trays coated with plastic, obviously carrying ornamental fishes to sell to the aquarium fish exporters in Iquitos. I asked permission and started peeking at each tray and eventually found one full of the new Otocinclus I was looking for! They were collected in a nearby creek and lake which I was not aware of! I then purchased some 30 specimens from the fisher, preserved them during the boat trip, and used those specimens to describe Otocinclus Cocama – a very beautiful fish!
Are there any characteristics of a place that make it more likely to have undescribed or undiscovered species living there?
ROBERTO: Well, this is a tricky question. Obviously, I would expect unexplored areas (like the eastern Amazon, or the southern Orinoco basin) to have more unknown species. This is generally true. However, I can show you several papers, some by myself, describing new species from areas heavily sampled during the last 200 years!
At this very moment I am conducting a study describing five new species of another group of suckermouth catfish from the upper Uruguay River in south Brazil, an area that my team have collected heavily for about 30 years. Most of the fishes were already pickled and sitting on a shelf in our own museum, but are so far undetected as undescribed. It’s a matter of being able to detect them.
Can you estimate how many species may yet be discovered and described in South America, and the world?
ROBERTO: Fish is a big group with about 36,400 species today. Approximately half are freshwater and half are marine. In the last 20 years or so, an average of 104 new species are described for the Neotropical region alone. In 2016 I published with colleagues an article showing that we had in South America some 5,160 freshwater fish species, and we estimated a final diversity between 8,000 and 9,000 species.
Sturisoma reisi, one of the notable species in this report, was named after you. Are there other species named after you?
ROBERTO: Yes! A former PhD student described Sturisoma reisi in my honor. As well as that, there is Ancistrus reisi, Phalloceros reisi, Rineloricaria reisi, Scleromystax reisi, and Brachychalcinus reisi. Sturisoma reisi is a very beautiful fish, from the Guaporé River, Madeira River basin, and collected near Costa Marques in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. It’s a really cool fish that lives, as most other suckermouth catfishes, in the bottom of swift creeks and rivers. This particular species can be found more commonly on logs and tree branches fallen into the water.
SHOAL released their annual report New Species 2022 on World Wildlife Day, Friday 3rd March 2023. The report details the 201 species of freshwater fish identified in 2022.
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Michael Edmondstone
March 10th 2023
Feature, Interview, New Species
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Our annual New Species report, detailing the 201 species of freshwater fish identified last year.
A fish that can leap out of water to escape predators, an air-breathing catfish, and some blood-sucking vampires highlighted in New Species 2022.
This World Wildlife DaySHOAL release their second annual New Species report, a landmark report detailing the 201 freshwater fish species described in 2022.
The class of 2022 includes:
The Juan Deriba killifish, which can leap out of water and stay on dry land for hours to escape predators
The Monsembula catfish, named after Congolese researcher and Greenpeace campaigner Raoul Mosembula
Nine species of Paracanthopoma, a genus of blood-sucking catfish with nice names like Daemon, Satanica and Vampyra
Two species of Amazonian darter, the beautiful fin darter and Apuí root darter, whose habitat is being lost to deforestation even as they are being discovered
“SHOAL’s New Species reports shine a much-needed light on a group of creatures that get very little attention.”
Michael Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL
Let’s look at the numbers!
Of the 201 freshwater fish first described in 2022, there are:
88 from South America
68 from Asia
25 from Africa
9 from Oceania
8 from Europe
3 from North America
“It may come as a surprise to some to learn that hundreds of freshwater fish species are described every year. But it shows just how much there is for us to learn about what lies beneath the surface of the planet’s freshwaters. More than half of all fish species live in freshwater, which is remarkable considering less than 1% of Earth’s water is liquid freshwater. Yet humans have historically neglected and mistreated freshwater habitats, meaning that many of these incredible species are at risk of being lost. SHOAL’s annual New Species reports, in collaboration with the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group and the California Academy of Sciences, puts a much-needed spotlight on these species, which will ultimately give them a greater chance of being saved.”
Kathy Hughes, Co-Chair, IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group
The report is the second edition of SHOAL’s annual release of New Species reports. New Species 2021 showcased the 212 freshwater fish described in 2021, and is available to read here.
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Michael Edmondstone
March 3rd 2023
New Species, SHOAL, Stories
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Rivers are really important (here’s 3 reasons why)
Why are rivers so important? And what are we doing to protect them?
“Rivers are integral to all life.”
That’s what Mark Angelo, the founder and Chair of World Rivers Day, has to say about our waterways. But why are rivers so important? And what are we doing to protect them?
Even though rivers account for just 2% of the world’s liquid surface freshwater, their impact goes well beyond the animals who live in them and the people who live by them. From vast fast-flowing waterways to shallow wetland deltas, rivers provide important ecological, economic and cultural value.
Throughout history, humans have harnessed their power to generate power, irrigate crops, expel waste and more. Pollution, industrial development, and climate change have placed immense pressure on our waterways, with many of the world’s rivers now in a degraded state.
1 in 5 river basins have experienced fluctuations in surface water outside their natural range
Just 1 in 3 of the world’s longest rivers remain free flowing
1 in 3 suffer from severe pathogenic pollution
1 in 7 suffer from severe organic pollution
1 in 10 suffer from severe salinity pollution
Every year about 1,500 tons of microplastics are estimated to escape from wastewater treatment plants into aquatic environments
It is vital that we protect rivers that remain in a healthy state, while striving to restore those that have been damaged in the past. But why exactly is it so important that we have healthy vibrant waterways?
1. RIVERS ARE A HOME TO BIODIVERSITY
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), rivers are home to over 100,000 freshwater species. This means some of the most biodiverse habitats on our planet can be found around rivers.
Critically they are home to many protected, endangered and threatened species including some of our Fantastic Freshwater species. For example the Indian skimmer, Mallacoota burrowing crayfish, Mekong giant catfish, and the Indus River dolphin.
The return of porpoises to the River Thames demonstrates how habitat restoration and river cleaning can see species populations bounce back.
Humans have historically been drawn to rivers as a provider of transport, food and fresh drinking water. Many of the oldest cities in the world are built on their banks and a huge number of cultures and communities have developed around our waterways.-
SHOAL’s Michael Edmondstone said: “The local community has been integral to the skiffia and splitfin projects since the start, and will be key to ensuring the fishes’ habitat remains free of threats. A team of local children have volunteered as Guardians of the River, who pick up trash and speak with visitors to educate and inspire them about the importance of a healthy ecosystem. Walking around Teuchitlán, it is clear how important the project is to the community: colourful murals of the fish are painted on the side of buildings, and reminders to look after the river and its inhabitants adorn walls every couple of blocks. One reads, “every river is the heartbeat of the natural environment”. Another simply asks, “and what if you had to drink this water that you pollute?”
3. RIVERS ARE VITAL TO PEOPLE’S LIVELIHOODS
The state of our waterways has a direct impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Rivers support fisheries, transport goods and people, promote tourism, provide recreational and mental health benefits.
Threats to rivers that degrade their state, also damage the sustainable economic impact that local communities rely on.
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Michael Edmondstone
February 25th 2023
SHOAL, Stories
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This fantastic freshwater bird is a lesson in how water management can impact wildlife.
Meet the Basra reed warbler
The Basra reed warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is an endemic breeder in East and southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel. If you’re in the area, you may spot it by its cold grey-olive-brown plumage and whitish underparts, or follow its gruff ‘chaar’ call and quiet, slow song mixed with deep, bulbul-like notes.
Its preferred environment depends on the time of year. When migrating or wintering, the species is found in thickets and bushlands. Other times its aquatic vegetation in or around shallow, fresh or brackish water, that the species will call home. You can’t beat a dense bed of papyrus and reeds, according to the species.
The Basra reed warbler is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.
For a lesson in how water management can impact wildlife, you can look at the Basra reed warbler. The species’ shallow, marshy wetland habitat has suffered significant loss due to major hydrological projects since the 1950s, from dams preventing water from entering the wetlands, to drainage of the Mesopotamian Marshes in Iraq. This has, in turn, resulted in rapid decline of the species.
The species is being threatened by:
Large-scale hydrological projects causing habitat loss
Threats to habitat from large-scale conversion for agriculture
The species’ population was thought to have stabilised with the recovery of 58% of the original marshland area as of late 2006. Major snow melts in Turkey and Iran coincided with an extensive marsh restoration project. However the Basra reed warbler faces massive decline once again in the face of drought, and more major hydrological projects such as continued upstream dam construction.
Monitoring programmes in Israel and Iraq are keeping a close eye on the future of the species.
If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox
5 ways you can help look after freshwater ecosystems on your doorstep (and beyond)
Every little helps bring threatened freshwater ecosystems back from the brink.
If there’s one thing we can relate to here at SHOAL, it’s getting excited about freshwater. Been there, got the Save Denise’s Friends t-shirt. But what next? Here are 5 ways you can help look after freshwater ecosystems on your doorstep (and beyond):
1. Support projects in your local area
Identify your local conservation organisations and explore the opportunities to support their work. Many conservation organisations have opportunities for volunteers to get involved.
If there’s no wetland or freshwater species projects active in your area, maybe you could even start one yourself.
SHOAL works directly with a number of projects around the world. Whilst some are implemented by conservation professionals in the field, others rely on engagement from individuals around the world.
2. Make some noise for freshwater
Learned about a cool conservation project? Read some important freshwater news? Snapped a stunning freshwater photo? Get on social media and share!
It’s vital to keep freshwater visible and part of the conservation conversation. Use #SOShoal to share with other members of the SHOAL network and tag us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram so we can share the freshwater love on social media too.
3. Donate
SHOAL directs funding towards the conservation projects that are needed most. Donate to contribute towards the work of our wonderful partner organisations in the field, allowing them to make a difference to the survival of some of the most threatened freshwater species.
Reducing your own water use in the house and in the garden can help reduce the strain on our streams and rivers.
There are loads of great tips for saving water, like turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, washing fruit and veg in a bowl rather than under a running tap, or using recycled rainwater to water plants.
5. Practise your freshwater hobby sustainably (and encourage others to too!)
Whether you’re an aquarist or angler, researching the most sustainable way to conduct your hobby is hugely impactful. It not only helps to protect wild populations of freshwater species, but ensures the long-term viability of the hobby.
Join an association or expert network to get involved with other like-minded people and coordinate efforts to safeguard freshwater species or habitats.
BONUS: Join the SHOAL
Stay in the loop with SHOAL and our work to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation: subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox.
The scale of the challenges facing freshwater is huge, but together we can make a difference.
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Michael Edmondstone
January 27th 2023
Feature, SHOAL
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Time to shin the spotlight on one of our favourite freshwater birds!
Meet the Indian Skimmer
The Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) gets its name from the way it feeds, flying low over the water surface and ‘skimming’ for fish. The bird is one of our Fantastic Freshwater species, recognisable by its bright orange bill and sharp “kyap kyap” call.
The Indian skimmer forms noisy colonies around rivers, lakes, swamps and coastal wetlands. The bird is now almost completely restricted to India as a breeding bird, particularly the Chambal, Ganga, Son and Mahanadi river areas.
The Indian skimmer is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.
Once common, the species has suffered decades of population decline. Numbers have tumbled more than 20% in the past 11 years, just two generations of the Indian skimmer. Without action, it’s estimated that up to 46% of the remaining birds could be lost in the next three generations (approximately 17 years).
Issues lie in the rate of reproduction, as the species is no longer breeding in formerly occupied parts of its range, such as Myanmar. Other threats have resulted in fewer eggs hatching and fewer chicks surviving to adulthood.
The species is being threatened by:
Increased variation in water levels caused by dams irritation and sand mining along the river of the species’ range.
Human and predator disturbance onto islands where the birds breed.
Pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals.
At the current rate of reproduction, without concerted conservation action, the Indian skimmer is Endangered with its future in great jeopardy.
The Government of India’s National Mission for Clean Ganga recognises the bird as a priority species for conservation. Projects to conserve threatened riverine birds, with the skimmer as flagship, are being carried out on the Mahanadi, Son and Chambal Rivers.
A range of actions are being taken in these vital breeding grounds as part of the conservation projects. This includes the appointment of nest site guardians, education and outreach work, with the goal of protecting nests to increase breeding success.
If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox
*The Fantastic Freshwater: 50 landmark species for conservation report is led by SHOAL, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee, and the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo.
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Michael Edmondstone
January 13th 2023
Fantastic Freshwater, Feature
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In March we released the New Species Report 2021, which outlines 212 freshwater fish species described in 2021. Researchers and taxonomists from around the world contributed to the report, describing the species – striped and spotted, soft and spiky, bold and timid – in all their magnificent diversity.
The first of an annual series, New Species Report 2022 is already in the works. Keep your eyes peeled for the release in early 2023!
April saw the hunt for the elusive fat catfish begin. Ictiología y Cultura lead the socio-historical side of the search for one of the most compelling, and weird looking, of our 10 Most Wanted Lost Fishes.
The fieldwork uncovered some interesting new leads, including a fisherman who claimed he caught – and ate – the fatty fish a few years ago!
The search continues in 2023! As you read this, SHOAL’s partners are preparing to brave the cold climes of Lake Tota in the next few weeks for a scientific expedition in the region.
In May, The Fantastic Freshwater report was released by some of the world’s leading conservationists. This landmark report highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.
The report highlights 50 threatened species from the ten major taxonomic groups, along with the threats they face and the conservation action they currently receive, and brought together the expertise of more 70 scientists across 21 IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Specialist Groups and Red List Authorities, laying the foundations for increased collaboration in the future.
A three-day workshop in August saw the creation of the Freshwater Inspire Network, or FIN for short. This new initiative was developed at the INSPIRE meeting in Bristol, funded by WWF and Synchronicity Earth, with partners at Bristol Zoo.
“The workshop held at Bristol Zoo in May, funded by Synchronicity Earth and WWF, led to the creation of the Freshwater Inspire Network (the FIN), which will greatly simplify the collaboration between conservationists, creatives, campaigners, communicators and other collaborators which is so desperately needed to elevate and amplify communications about freshwater habitats and species.”
Mike Baltzer, Executive Director, SHOAL
The FIN has been created to help people who are passionate about freshwater conservation to connect and collaborate. From filmmakers to campaigners, conservationists to students, and more – the goal of the FIN is to help us make as much noise about freshwater as we can!
The ASAP action plan is a collaboration between SHOAL, Mandai Nature and the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) to draw up an action plan to save the most threatened freshwater fishes in Asia.
In July, we announced our newest partner: Progres, a conservation NGO co-founded by two Sulawesi women, Sheherazade and Asnim Alyoihana Lanusi.
The organisation is based near Lake Poso, where they work closely with local fishermen in an attempt to find three ‘lost fishes’, including the duck-billed buntingi from our 10 Most Wanted Lost Fishes.
October saw SHOAL break the record for fastest marathon ever run by a killifish (we assume). Our Communications and Engagement Lead Michael Edmondstone ran the London Marathon dressed as the Attenborough‘s killifish in support of Synchronicity Earth’s Keep Them In The Running campaign.
The £1,600 raised will be put directly to a killifish conservation project in Africa’s Rift Valley Lakes, which will help bring more species back from the brink.
In October, SHOAL Executive Director Mike Baltzer and Synchronicity Earth programme officer Félix Feider travelled to Southeast Asia to meet partners and plan future conservation work.
A highlight was a boat trip through the peat swamp forests of Pahang with partners the Global Environment Centre.
“It was wonderful to meet the partners and the local communities working at the frontline to save some of Southeast Asia’s most important freshwater fishes and their habitats. Each of the projects exemplifies what can be achieved by locally-led direct conservation action and SHOAL is proud to be part of it.”
At the end of 2021 we launched our Save Denise’s Friends campaign, in partnership with OATA and Practical Fishkeeping magazine. The Denison’s barb is one of the world’s most popular home aquarium fish, but in a few short years could become Extinct in the Wild.
In October we released three short films with our partners Zoo Outreach, a species conservation NGO based in India. The first is about the Endangered barb in the wild, the second focuses on the barb in the aquarium trade, and the third explores what the future could look like for the species.
On November 4th 2022 a team from the University of Michoacan, Mexico, reintroduced over 1,000 golden skiffia into the Rio Teuchitlán. The team was led by Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, and the Goodeid Working Group, with vital support from Chester Zoo.
A couple of weeks earlier the SHOAL team packed their bags for Mexico to participate in a four-day workshop to establish an action plan for conserving the highly threatened Mexican goodeids group of fishes.
Extinct in the Wild for 28 years, this was a (fresh)watershed moment so huge it even captured the attention of Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio.
“The four day workshop to plan the conservation of Mexican goodeids was intensive and productive, with an ambitious and effective plan of action established, and a strong team created. We are now in an excellent position to drive forward the conservation of more than 40 endemic and highly threatened species by 2030. All the team needs now is the funding.”
In December a film made by SHOAL, along with our partners Synchronicity Earth and The Nature Conservancy, premiered at the Nature Positive Pavilion at COP15.
Indigenous peoples around the world have called on policymakers to take the steps needed to save our freshwater ecosystems: “Protect inland waters!”
If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox.
Post Overview
Michael Edmondstone
January 5th 2023
SHOAL, Stories
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Cycling for sturgeon (Interview with Matt Spencer)
“Rather than the trip of a lifetime, it was a lifetime in a trip.”
By Eleanor Grice
Matt Spencer hatched a plan in lockdown…
…to leave his job as the UK Fisheries Outreach Officer at the Marine Stewardship Council and cycle 11,000km across Europe and Central Asia. Why? To raise vital awareness of sturgeon declines.
Critical in maintaining ecosystem structures and central to many of the cultures along the rivers they inhabit, sturgeon numbers have plummeted in the last century due to a combination of river pollution, loss of habitat and poaching.
MATT: They’re the most endangered group of species on the planet, we have just 26 species left and they’re all threatened, Endangered or Critically Endangered.
The last time we checked in with Matt, he was still on the road. So now that the adventure is over, how is he feeling? Certainly glad to be reunited with his home comforts, though it seems there has been an adjustment period.
MATT: When I first came to the UK I had to sleep on the floor because the bed was just too soft for me, I was waking up in the night with my joints aching.
SHOAL: Oh my god.
MATT: I’ve slowly worked my way up to the bed.
Matt arrived back in the UK in October – “but I do miss it”.
MATT: The best part was I’d unzip the tent in the morning and get a cool breeze of uncertainty. I didn’t know what would be happening, who I’d be meeting, what I’d be seeing.
…via extreme terrain from deserts to mountain passes, was conceived during the pandemic. Like everybody else, Matt was stuck at home and grew extremely familiar with his surroundings. His “tiny London flat” had a world map on the wall, that across the weeks he began to obsess over.
MATT: I’ve always had a fascination with sturgeon and I could just track the rivers where they were still present. The Garonne, the Po, the Danube. I then started looking at what’s in between the rivers. I was like well I’ve got to cross the channel, then there’s the Alps, then you’ve got the Black Sea. It was quite cool no-one had ever done this before. There’s always that weird tinge of pride when you’re first to do something.
SHOAL: Were you nervous?
MATT: It’s only when you tell work you’re leaving that you’re at a point of no return. I wasn’t nervous about quitting; I was actually excited to tell them the news because I knew in my heart of hearts this was shattering the glass. The only time I was really nervous about the trip was the day before I left because I hadn’t done a lot of training. Everyone at my leaving drinks was like Matt we didn’t know you liked cycling you’ve never spoken about it before. When I told them I didn’t they went from laughter to [being] quite concerned. It kicked in that I was leaving behind my life and everything that I knew. It was a thrill.
…in the Marine Stewardship Council, Matt has engaged with a lot of fish species but for him the sturgeon is special. Before this recent adventure, Matt joined a project in Georgia with Fauna and Flora International looking at ways to restore populations of sturgeon in the Rioni River. Six species of sturgeon used to breed there, but due to poaching, environmental degradation, and dams those numbers have fallen significantly. It was on that project Matt had the “moment when I realised what I want to do for the rest of my life”.
As he excitedly talks about how his latest journey gave him the chance to see the different communities and how they approached conservation of the fish, it’s clear Matt’s passion for sturgeon is burning as brightly as ever.
MATT: I have a tattoo now.
SHOAL: Wow – was it planned or spontaneous?
MATT: It was something I wanted to do. I got it on my last day in Tashkent. No regrets. They did a fantastic job, it’s on my leg.
SHOAL: A sensible move to get a leg tattoo on the final day and not half way through, when you’re cycling.
…he mentioned a phrase that stuck with us – “the madness that inspired and transpired”.
MATT: Well, the madness that inspired. Everyone who I told about my plan to cycle halfway across the world for fish was just like, that is complete lunacy. Fair enough. And all the madness that transpired. Drinking with policemen until the early hours. Hearing people walk past my tent at 2am in a forest in Romania. A lot of near-misses: drivers, dogs, landslides…
SHOAL: Speaking of – I imagine there were bumps in the road, literal or otherwise. What unexpected moments did you navigate?
MATT: Bad moments are a bit like thunderstorms. They’re normally fleeting but pretty grim. I had a week from hell in Hungary. It was about two months into the trip and loads of my gear started failing on me, plus basically six days and nights of rain. That was tough. I got dysentery in Uzbekistan, but I was meeting a Russian sturgeon scientist so I had to keep going. If I missed him it would be a complete mess. It led to some quite funny moments though, where I had to make an emergency pitstop at the side of the road and people in minivans were just driving past. Gives you all you need to know about that moment in my life.
SHOAL: It’s one of those things though that a month from now, a year from now, ten years from now will just be an interesting thing about Matt.
MATT: Yeah, about four days later I was laughing. At the time I was like “God my life absolutely sucks right now,” but then when you’re on the recovery stretch you can laugh at the misfortune.
The incredible journey spanned not just countries, but continents…
…with Matt’s cycle route based on specific rivers known for their sturgeon populations. From the Garonne in France across the Alps, then following the River Po across Italy. Matt then followed the Danube for several hundred miles before crossing the Black Sea and arriving in the Rioni basin. Next he traversed Georgia and Armenia before having to fly to Aktau on the coast of Kazakhstan, as Azerbaijan was still sealed due to covid. From here it took nine days crossing a desert into Uzbekistan and a jaunt over the Fann mountians in Tajikistan before finally arriving in the Syr Darya in the Fergana Valley.
MATT: Armenia was amazing. To do Georgia and then Armenia it was like gold followed by platinum. I spent a lot of time in southern Georgia near a place called Vardzia. To get there I had to cross the Zekari pass which separated lush verdant mountains on one side into arid Steppe conditions within two hours of cycling. There was barely anyone around, a really ancient part of the world. That was a real highlight.
SHOAL: I’ve been to Georgia and I am personally obsessed with the food there.
MATT: Yes! I had one guy tell me “don’t go to Georgia the cuisine is awful” and I was like…khinkali? Are you mad!
SHOAL: That’s a crazy thing to say, I mean khatchapuri? I’m addicted.
MATT: Romania’s epic, it’s so wild. People think for wilderness you have to go to Alaska or Patagonia, there are parts of Romania which are genuinely still wild. We went down through Uzbekistan, through Tajikistan and then up back into the Fergana Valley. That was mind-blowing. There were so many good spots. The food was wicked.
SHOAL: Were you picking up local recommendations or did you go in with plans for what you would do and eat?
MATT: A little bit of both. France and Italy I’d been to before and I had friends who are French and Italian so I just asked them (a) do you have any family I can stay with for free and (b) any recommendations? In France a slight detour I made was for the Tarne Gorge. It’s some of the best cycling I did the whole trip. Stunning. The weather was awful which meant everyone else was off the road. Just me and some other guy barrelling through headwinds and rain for three days.
SHOAL: It’s nice to have the freedom to be able to incorporate that into the trip.
MATT: Yeah, and credit where credit’s due – Google Maps is incredible. As soon as I’d outlined the route I’d look for the rough country roads. The idea was to double the distance and half the traffic, rather than double the traffic and half the distance. You plan a rough route, but other than that you just follow your nose. Sometimes I just get a really good feeling about a path and I’ve got six months to do it, so I’ve got a bit of time to play with. There would be times when I wouldn’t look at my phone, wouldn’t look at a map, I’d just follow this path. So that was fun.
…(before any spontaneous tattoos were booked!) was to the Syr Darya to look for the shovelnose sturgeon, one of SHOAL’s 10 Lost Fishes. Matt met up with Russia and Central Asia sturgeon expert Alexey Cherniak. The duo set out to search the Fergana Valley, the area where the last recordings of the shovelnose sturgeon were taken.
MATT: It was wicked to go into these really remote, rural communities. We’d sit down, sometimes over food, sometimes informal chats by the road or by the river. The older generation fishermen said they hadn’t seen it for 60 years. Anyone under the age of 60 hadn’t even heard of it. So we can probably put a line through that area in terms of hosting the sturgeon.
Disappointed by the outcome of the search, Alexey and Matt are already talking about going further upstream into Kyrgyzstan as the next port of call. Fishermen in the area have anecdotally reported catching the sturgeon in the past 20 or 30 years.
MATT: I built up in my head that I was going to see it, which I probably shouldn’t have done, but when you’re cycling by yourself you don’t have much else to think about. You do feel a bit like you’ve let everyone down, but at the same time you sit back and realise the chances were vanishingly small.
SHOAL: Especially at the end of a trip like that, you must start to feel like this is the Hollywood final act moment.
MATT: There were so many close scrapes and near shaves that you think, no matter how vanishingly small the chance of finding a shovel nose we’ve been so lucky over the past few months you might get one final roll of the dice. But it wasn’t to be.
MATT: I guess for any future employers reading, my answer is no massive trips planned. I’ve definitely got the bug for central Asia, I’d love to go back there. Unfortunately reality is knocking so it’s feet under the table time. And then maybe disappear again.
SHOAL: Work until you have the resources to travel again. And repeat.
MATT: Exactly, life is there for the living right? It’s a great mentality to live with. And it doesn’t need to be for a higher cause, but in moments where I was properly down, knowing that I was cycling for a cause was a massive preserver of energy for me.
SHOAL: With that in mind, for anyone who comes across your journey – what can they do?
MATT: Unfortunately the donation link is now closed. However the cause is Fauna and Flora International so if you want to donate money please donate it to them or SHOAL, another group close to my heart.
Obviously it’s a tough time for everyone financially. If you can’t donate then try and volunteer, if you can’t volunteer then just take 10 minutes a day to walk around and appreciate how majestic wildlife can be. You don’t need to disappear to Alaska or whatever to do that. Just go to your garden, or to a local park.
Be in wonder of something as simple as a bee or a spider and think of ways you can help them out. Small things like that do make massive differences.
SHOAL: Absolutely. Thanks so much for chatting with us Matt. What an incredible journey.
MATT: Best thing I ever did, riskiest thing I’ve ever done – but it paid me back far more than it cost me.
To follow Matt’s future adventures…
…make sure to follow him on social media, and check out his blog One Average Spoke to dive further into his incredible trip.
The festively named starry night harlequin toad is not just for Christmas, and neither are the threats they face.
‘Tis the season (to talk about the starry night harlequin toad)
Meet the starry night harlequin toad
Named for the clear, dark, starry skies in its mountain habitat of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the starry night harlequin toad (Atelopus arsyecue) is one of the most striking of our Fantastic Freshwater species. Less than two inches in size, the stunning amphibian is recognised by its shiny black skin studded with ethereal white spots.
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to the indigenous Arhuaco people of the Sogrome community. They call the toad ‘gouna’ and consider it a guardian of the water and a symbol of fertility. Inspiring their ancestors for millenia, the species is viewed as an authority of the natural world. It serves as an indicator to signal actions including when to plant crops, or perform spiritual ceremonies.
The rediscovery of the starry night harlequin toad highlights the power of local, indigenous knowledge in protecting and recovering species. Just a few years ago scientists feared the Critically Endangered species was lost. It had not been documented since 1991.
This changed in late 2019 with a unique and poignant partnership between the indigenous people and Fundación Atelopus. Despite the species being lost to science for nearly 30 years, it has never been lost to members of the Sogrome community.
The Colombian NGO, a partner of Global Wildlife Conservation, were in dialogue with mamos, spiritual leaders of the Sogrome community for four years before they were allowed to see (just see) the starry night harlequin toad. This is a test of trust the Arhuaco call “resisting temptation”.
Several more months passed before the community permit the Fundación Atelopus to return to the sacred Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to achieve photo documentation of the rare amphibian on a Global Wildlife Conservation-funded expedition
Other harlequin species “rediscovered by scientists in recent years include the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad in 2013, the Azuay stubfoot toad in 2015, and the longnose harlequin frog in 2016.
Other harlequin species “rediscovered by scientists in recent years include the Costa Rican variable harlequin toad in 2013, the Azuay stubfoot toad in 2015, and the longnose harlequin frog in 2016.
Not just for Christmas
The starry night harlequin toad is one of the 50 landmark species at high risk of extinction identified in SHOAL’s Fantastic Freshwater* report. Published on 19th May 2022 (International Day for Biodiversity), Fantastic Freshwater highlights the diversity and beauty of freshwater species and the immense threats they face to their survival.
According to the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 80 of the known 96 harlequin toad species are Endangered, Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild. This is due in part to the rapid spread of the amphibian-killing fungus known as chytrid. Scientists have observed that harlequin toads are hit especially hard by the disease.
The species is being threatened by:
Habitat loss and degradation from agricultural activities including livestock, along with fire and logging.
Conversations continue between Fundación Atelopus and mamos. It’s hoped that the special relationship will combine Western scientific knowledge and the indigenous scientific, cultural and spiritual knowledge to give the species its best chance going forward.
If you want to support the work SHOAL are doing to conserve freshwater species through action-driven conservation donate here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter The Stream to get all the latest freshwater news straight to your inbox
Come with SHOAL to Mexico to see Extinct in the Wild golden skiffia reintroduced to the Rio Teuchitlán.
On November 4th 2022 a team from the University of Michoacan, Mexico, reintroduced over 1,000 golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae) into the Rio Teuchitlán. The team was led by Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, and the Goodeid Working Group, with vital support from Chester Zoo.
Just a couple of weeks earlier the SHOAL team packed their bags for Mexico to join them for this (fresh)watershed moment. We also participated in a workshop to plan conservation action for the Mexican goodeids – one of the world’s most threatened groups of fishes.
Time to fly the nest mesocosm
Our first stop was to the Aqua Lab at Michoacan University of Mexico in Morelia to see their breeding facilities. The Fish Ark facility at the university has been breeding golden skiffia in captivity for years in preparation for this re-release.
Fish Ark Mexico is a conservation project in central Mexico that focuses on 41 highly threatened species of freshwater fish. The project has more than 20 years of experience in Mexican fish conservation and has succeeded in keeping 39 species of Endangered and Extinct in the Wild Mexican goodeid species in captivity.
“The Aqua Lab itself is a hugely impressive facility, with three shelves of tanks stretching wall to wall either side, providing ample space for the breeding of threatened fish species, including the golden skiffia and tequila splitfin. Once the fish are fully grown, they are moved to large outdoor pools on the grounds of the Aqua Lab, where they can adapt to living with much more space. Also bred in the Fish Ark are species of Critically Endangered Mexican salamanders.”
Fishes due for release are dewormed, marked and placed in secure ponds known as mesocosms to prepare them for a return to the wild. The mesocosms float in the species’ natural habitat but are protected by netting, allowing fish to adapt to semi-natural conditions without chance of predation.
The golden skiffia has not been seen in the wild since the 1990s. Human impact such as dam construction, water extraction, pollution and the introduction of invasive species have caused major changes to the skiffia’s habitat, pushing it to extinction in its only home.
The release comes six years after the successful reintroduction of the tequila splitfin (Zoogonetcus tequila) which faced very similar threats to the golden skiffia. The species was also bred in a conservation breeding programme and released into the Teuchitlán River. Domínguez-Domínguez also led that work. The population of tequila splitfin there is now thriving, and the project has been cited as an International Union for the Conservation of Nature case study for successful global reintroductions.
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. Being part of this expedition, the SHOAL team got to experience the colourful celebration in all its life-affirming glory.
“The Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican celebration, when it is believed that people’s deceased ancestors return to the land of the living for one night, to talk and spend time with their families. Releasing the golden skiffia around this time is a metaphor for how the species has come back from the dead to return to its home, not for one night, but forever.” Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, professor and researcher from the Michoacan University of Mexico, who is leading the golden skiffia reintroduction.
“The golden skiffia release came two days later, on 4 November. The day began at the nearby Guachimontones archeological site, with talks about the golden skiffia, the river and the conservation work achieved, and an awards ceremony to celebrate the hard work of the Guardians of the River. In the evening, traditional Mexican dancing, traditional Indigenous dancing, a theatrical performance and a poetry recital set the mood before a symbolic funeral cortege to the release site marked the skiffia’s demise from the wild. To the sound of rhythmic drumming, local children released 10 skiffia individuals one at a time in a moving and memorable ceremony. The remaining approximately 1,200 individuals were subsequently released.”
Individuals released into the wild are tagged with a non-toxic elastomer before release and will be monitored for the next five years. This assesses whether the population is increasing and whether the fish are reproducing and growing successfully in their natural habitat.
Conservationists hope that the fish released on 4 November will ultimately result in a healthy, self-sustaining population taking hold. Then the species can fulfil its important natural role in the ecosystem of eating algae and mosquito larvae, helping to keep populations of those species in check.
SHOAL is currently working with the University of Michoacan, Chester Zoo, the Goodeid Working Group and a host of other organisations on a conservation plan for each of the threatened Mexican goodeids. If the success of the tequila splitfin reintroduction and the predictions for a successful golden skiffia project are anything to go by, there is good reason to believe this collaborative, interdisciplinary conservation programme will bring these goodeid species back from the brink of extinction.
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