World Fish Migration Day

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World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) is celebrated every other year to raise global attention to the need for restored river connections for migrating fish to achieve healthier fish stocks and more productive rivers. The 4th and last World Fish Migration Day took place on 24 October 2020. The next one will take place on 22 May 2022.

Contents

History

The concept of a day to celebrate fish migration was shown to be a success within the North Sea Region on May 14, 2011. In 2011, partners of the Living North Sea Project, funded by the European Union, participated to raise awareness about fish passage issues in the North Sea Region, including 25 locations in seven countries. The day created publicity in both regional and national press, including social media, magazines, radio and TV stations (From Sea to Source [1] ). After the success in 2011, a Dutch conservationist Herman Wanningen from the World Fish Migration Foundation, reached out to various organizations worldwide, including The Nature Conservancy, WWF, and the Freshwater Fish Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (FFSG-IUCN) to create a global celebratory day, which is today known as the World Fish Migration Day. In 2014 the first ever WFMD took place and is now generally planned for every second year in May, under the coordination of the World Fish Migration Platform.

Celebrity endorsements

On the occasion of World Fish Migration Day May 24, 2014, Sharon Dijksma, the State Secretary of Economic Affairs in The Netherlands sent out message endorsing the WFMD. [2]

Zeb Hogan from Nation Geographics' Monster Fish television program, sent out a message during the 5th annual Fish Passage conference in June 2015, encouraging people to take part in this event. [3] Other celebrities who have encouraged World Fish Migration Day Celebrations include:

Description

WFMD is a one-day event to create worldwide awareness of the importance of freshwater migratory fish and open rivers for the general public, especially students and their teachers, resource managers and engineers, and commercial and recreational anglers, as well as those individuals who influence public policy that affect rivers. [4] It is a global initiative with activities organized to reach these audiences.

Around the world, coordination and promotion is done through local activities supported and coordinated by a central office of the World Fish Migration Platform. The website is being developed and ambassadors are arising for national and continental satellite offices. At the individual event level, organizations undertake the development of an activity to raise awareness and involve local people and media about fish migration and open rivers. Local events include a range of activities: field trips, events at a school or aquaria, the opening of a fishways, races, food festivals, etc. At this local level, the logo and central message of the WFMD, connecting fish, rivers and people, is used to connect sites around the world. The day starts in New Zealand and will follows the sun around the world, ending in Hawaii.[ citation needed ]

WFMD 2014

May 24, 2014, marked the first ever World Fish Migration Day (WFMD), a worldwide celebration of healthy rivers and free-running fish with over 270 events. On this day, over a 1000 different organisations contributed to WFMD2014, through support and/or participation, in 53 countries worldwide. [5] It was estimated that over 50,000 people participated in events around the world. The events ranged from fun-filled river clean-ups in Poland to successful conferences in Spain, as well as, marches in Ethiopia, open days for viewing bypass channels and releasing fish in the UK and Paraguay. There was a large amount of publicity that was created through social media, TV stations such as BBC, [6] National Geographic magazines and articles, [7] local and regional press and radio shows. [8] [9] [10] [11]

WFMD 2016

WFMD 2016 was held on May 21, 2016. The 2nd WFMD had 450 events in 63 countries. The WFMD communication campaign was developed under the slogan "Fish can't travel like we can" to highlight that fish are restricted to in-water movements that demand connectivity. Results from social media, newspaper, TV and internet analysis show that WFMD 2016 had a global reach of over 70 million people. [12]

WFMD 2018

The third World Fish Migration Day took place on April 21, 2018. Over 3000 organizations participated culminating in 570 events in 63 countries. It is estimated that over 200,000 people joined local events—the most participation yet. Highlights included the release of the new From Sea to Source 2.0 guidance book. This book was written by a team of international experts that impart their knowledge of river restoration activities and important migratory fish species.

Related Research Articles

Brackish water Water with salinity between freshwater and seawater

Brackish water, also sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment having more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater with fresh water together, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak". Certain human activities can produce brackish water, in particular civil engineering projects such as dikes and the flooding of coastal marshland to produce brackish water pools for freshwater prawn farming. Brackish water is also the primary waste product of the salinity gradient power process. Because brackish water is hostile to the growth of most terrestrial plant species, without appropriate management it is damaging to the environment.

Estuary Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water

An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments and are an example of an ecotone. Estuaries are subject both to marine influences such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water and to fluvial influences such as flows of freshwater and sediment. The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides high levels of nutrients both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world.

Fish migration Movement of fishes from one part of a water body to another on a regular basis

Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres. Fish usually migrate to feed or to reproduce, but in other cases the reasons are unclear.

Sturgeon Ray-finned fish

Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous, and are descended from other, earlier acipenseriform fish who date back to the Triassic period some 245 to 208 million years ago. The family is grouped into four genera: Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. Two species may be extinct in the wild, and one may be entirely extinct. Two closely related species, Polyodon spathula and Psephurus gladius are of the same order, Acipenseriformes, but are in the family Polyodontidae and are not considered to be "true" sturgeons. Both sturgeons and paddlefish have been referred to as "primitive fishes" because their morphological characteristics have remained relatively unchanged since the earliest fossil record. Sturgeons are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America.

American eel Species of fish

The American eel is a facultative catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. Freshwater eels are fish belonging to the elopomorph superorder, a group of phylogenetically ancient teleosts. The American eel has a slender, snake-like body that is covered with a mucus layer, which makes the eel appear to be naked and slimy despite the presence of minute scales. A long dorsal fin runs from the middle of the back and is continuous with a similar ventral fin. Pelvic fins are absent, and relatively small pectoral fins can be found near the midline, followed by the head and gill covers. Variations exist in coloration, from olive green, brown shading to greenish-yellow and light gray or white on the belly. Eels from clear water are often lighter than those from dark, tannic acid streams.

Salmon run

The salmon run is the time when salmon, which have migrated from the ocean, swim to the upper reaches of rivers where they spawn on gravel beds. After spawning, all Pacific salmon and most Atlantic salmon die, and the salmon life cycle starts over again. The annual run can be a major event for grizzly bears, bald eagles and sport fishermen. Most salmon species migrate during the fall.

Atlantic salmon Species of fish

The Atlantic salmon is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the 3rd largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian Taimen and Pacific Chinook Salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into this ocean. Most populations of this fish species are anadromous, hatching in streams and rivers but moving out to sea as they grow where they mature, after which the adult fish seasonally move upstream again to spawn.

Chinook salmon Species of fish

The Chinook salmon is the largest species of Pacific salmon as well as the largest in the genus Oncorhynchus. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, Tsumen, spring salmon, chrome hog, Blackmouth, and Tyee salmon. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name chavycha (чавыча).

Beluga (sturgeon) Species of fish in the sturgeon family

The beluga, also known as the beluga sturgeon or great sturgeon, is a species of anadromous fish in the sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) of order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and formerly in the Adriatic Sea. Based on maximum size, it is the third-most-massive living species of bony fish. Heavily fished for the female's valuable roe, known as beluga caviar, wild populations have been greatly reduced by overfishing and poaching.

Sundarbans Reserved Forest in Bengal

Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans from the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz. Sundarbans National Park, Sundarbans West, Sundarbans South and Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Sea trout Form of brown trout

Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous forms of brown trout, and is often referred to as Salmo trutta morpha trutta. Other names for anadromous brown trout are sewin (Wales), peel or peal, mort, finnock (Scotland), white trout (Ireland) and salmon trout (culinary). The term sea trout is also used to describe other anadromous salmonids—coho salmon, brook trout, Arctic char, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden. Even some non-salmonid species are also commonly known as sea trout—Northern pikeminnow and members of the weakfish family (Cynoscion).

Australian bass Species of fish

The Australian bass is a small to medium-sized, primarily freshwater species of fish found in coastal rivers and streams along the east coast of Australia. It is a member of the family Percichthyidae and the genus Macquaria. Australian bass is an important member of the native fish assemblages found in east coast river systems. It is a predatory native fish and an extremely popular angling species. The species was simply called perch in most coastal rivers where it was caught until the 1960s, when the name Australian bass started to gain popularity.

Pansipit River

The Pansipit River is a short river located in the Batangas province of the Philippines. The river is the sole drainage outlet of Taal Lake, which empties to Balayan Bay. The river stretches some 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) passing along the municipalities of Agoncillo, Lemery, San Nicolas, and Taal, serving as a boundary between the communities. It has a very narrow entrance from Taal Lake.

Freshwater fish

Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, the most obvious being the difference in levels of salinity. To survive fresh water, the fish need a range of physiological adaptations.

Animal migration Periodic large-scale movement of animals, usually seasonal

Animal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migration in ecology. It is found in all major animal groups, including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and crustaceans. The trigger for the migration may be local climate, local availability of food, the season of the year or for mating reasons.

Skipjack shad Species of fish

The skipjack shad is a North American, migratory, fresh- and brackish water fish species in the herring family Clupeidae. The name skipjack shad comes from the fact that it is commonly seen leaping out of the water while feeding. Other common names include blue herring, golden shad, river shad, Tennessee tarpon, and McKinley shad. The skipjack shad is restricted to the Gulf of Mexico drainage basins. Skipjack shad are found in clear to moderately turbid water in areas with flow. Because they are a migratory species, dams often impede their reproduction. Records suggest that this species was much more abundant in the Upper Mississippi River basin before it was impounded. Currently, the skipjack shad is most abundant in the Upper Mississippi River below the mouth of the Ohio River. They are known as an "early-run" species as they migrate to spawn in the early spring.

Julliens golden carp Species of fish

The Jullien's golden carp is a species of endangered freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Southeast Asian river basins. Its existence is being threatened by various economic activities, such as large-scale agriculture and the building of dams for hydropower.

Giant pangasius species of freshwater fish

The giant pangasius, paroon shark, pangasid-catfish or Chao Phraya giant catfish is a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae) of order Siluriformes, found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Indochina. Its populations have declined drastically, mainly due to overfishing, and it is now considered Critically Endangered.

<i>Coilia nasus</i> Species of ray-finned fish

Coilia nasus, also known as ungeo and the Japanese grenadier anchovy or Chinese tapertail anchovy is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Engraulidae (anchovies). It grows to 41 cm (16 in) total length; it is a relatively large species for its genus. It is found in marine, freshwater, and brackish water at depths down to 50 m (160 ft). It is an example of an anadromous fish species, with some populations moving to freshwater to spawn. Overall they are distributed in the northwest Pacific, between 21–42°N and 109–134°E, or from Guangdong in China to the west coast of the Korean peninsula and the Ariake Sound in southwestern Japan. A traditional delicacy, the species is commercially fished in Korea, China and Japan. In China it is one of the most expensive fish sold, and as the anadromous variety is more expensive than the freshwater variety, the industry is mostly focussed in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and Yangtze.

The Shad Foundation is an international non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1996 for the study, protection, and celebration of shads around the world. Currently, there are more than 30 recognized shad species worldwide. Shad, which are members of the herring family, are widely distributed, and many are anadromous, meaning that they migrate from fresh to salt water as juveniles and return to freshwater for the express purpose of spawning. Many species are threatened by water pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and obstacles to migration, such as dams.

References

  1. ↑ Gough, Peter; Philipsen, Peter; Schollema, Peter Paul; Wanningen, Herman (2012). From Sea to Source, International guidance for the restoration of fish migration highways. The Netherlands: Regional Water Authority Hunze en Aa's. p. 300.
  2. ↑ "Message from Sharon Dijksma". WFMD Youtube channel. WFMD2014.
  3. ↑ "Fish Passage 2015 conference". You Tube. World Fish Migration Day. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "World Fish Migration Day". World Gish Migration Day. WFMD2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "World Fish Migration Blog". World Fish Migration Blog. WFMD2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Salmon spawn in upper Taff after 200 years, says river trust". BBC. BBC. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "The World's Largest Migratory Freshwater Fish". Water currents. National Geographic. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "CORRIDA MIGRAÇÃO". TV Universitaria Lavras. TV Universitaria Lavras. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Zeb Hogan & World Fish Migration Day". WFMD. Fish Passage 2015 conference. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "World Fish Migration Day". Mulkear Life. Mulkear Life.
  11. ↑ "World Fish Migration day". rtv oost. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  12. ↑ https://www.worldfishmigrationday.com/download.php?id=70
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