Dramatic freshwater fish decline in more than half the world's largest rivers
Phnom Penh, Cambodia - River fisheries experts meeting at the Symposium on
the Management of Large Rivers for Fisheries, which ends today, have expressed
alarm that freshwater fish stocks have declined by up to 90 per cent in many of
the world's largest rivers. WWF is concerned
that this has serious implications for the livelihoods of the tens of millions
of people living in these river basins, not to mention natural freshwater
ecosystems.
Two hundred and forty river fisheries experts from 38 countries met at the
symposium, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to assess the world’s freshwater
fisheries in 61 river basins around the world. Rivers showing a decline in
freshwater fish stocks include the Yangtze River in China, the Volga River in
Russia, the Niger River in West Africa, the Plata River in South America, and
the Murray and Darling Rivers in Australia.
Fish is a major source of calcium and protein for people worldwide.
Freshwater fish are particularly important as a food source for people in
developing countries. For example, the 73 million people living on and around
the Mekong River depend on fish and other resources in the river system for most
of the protein in their diets. Cambodia's 12 million people each consume an
average 47 kg of fish meat per year, which is their dominant source of protein.
As well as food, freshwater fisheries are an important economic resource. The
freshwater fisheries of the lower Mekong River basin are estimated to have a
market value of nearly US$1.7 billion per year. Freshwater fisheries are also
the main source of income for riverside communities and the majority of the
fishermen in regional fleets living on the Amazon River in Brazil and in
tropical Africa.
Two-fifths of the world's fish are freshwater species — and of these, 20
per cent are threatened, endangered, or have become extinct in recent decades.
Freshwater ecosystems, which harbour the greatest concentration of species, are
amongst the most vulnerable on Earth.
WWF believes that dams are one contributing factor to the decline in
freshwater ecosystems and in freshwater fish stocks. Dams have been built on
many of the rivers showing depleted fish stocks, and can harm fisheries by
reducing critical flood levels and disturbing flooding cycles needed for fish
reproduction, as well as by blocking migration passages. Other contributing
factors are pollution, overfishing, and general degradation of river basin
ecosystems through deforestation and inappropriate use of water.
The symposium leads up to the World Water Forum in March this year when Japan
will host water engineers and ministers who preside over use and distribution of
our most precious resource. Decline of river fish is yet another indicator that
natural habitats such as wetlands and rivers and the life they sustain are under
intense pressure.
For further information:
Lisa Hadeed
WWF Living Waters Programme
Tel: +41 22 364 9030
E-mail: lhadeed@wwfint.org
Reproduced with permission from WWF.
© 2002 WWF-- World Wide Fund For Nature. (Formerly World Wildlife Fund). All
rights reserved.
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