We're losing these guys ...

 Species - Brooke Trout, Maine, USA © (c) Freshwaters Illustrated

We're losing these guys twice as fast as their seltwater cousins residing in the world's oceans, a frightening thought given just how many people depend on this nature's bounty to survive.

The world’s dazzlingly diverse freshwater fishes are critical for the health, food security and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, but they are under ever increasing threat with one in three already threatened with extinction, according to a report published today by 16 global conservation organizations.

• Freshwater fisheries provide food for 200 million people and livelihoods for 60 million
• Fisheries valued at over US$38 billion, while recreational fishing generates US$100 billion
• Freshwater fishes make up 51% of all fish species and ¼ of all vertebrate species on Earth

But freshwater fishes continue to be undervalued and overlooked – and thousands of species are now heading towards extinction. 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.

Chinese fisherwoman © Brent Stirton _ Getty Images _ WWF-UK

Here is the World's Forgotten Fishes report. Tragic says it all.