Freshwater Fish Conservation in Southeast Asia | Chao, Baltzer and Shengrong

Even though people mostly view fish as tasty food on their plates, freshwater fish species are in desperate need of our attention and action. They are the world’s most threatened taxon, due to pollution, aquatic habitat loss, invasive species, overharvesting and water flow changes. Fish are at risk worldwide, but Southeast Asia is one of the key areas where fish are suffering with more than 80 different fish species currently on the brink of extinction.
In this episode, Nerissa Chao (a conservation biologist who has been leading the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership), Mike Baltzer (founder of Shoal, an organization that strives to protect freshwater species) and Nathaniel Ng Shengrong (a fish conservation expert from Mandai Nature) talk about:
• why freshwater fish are important for the ecosystem
• what happens when fish go extinct
• why fish are neglected and overlooked
• how the ASAP Action Plan will help protect fish in Southeast Asia
• how local communities, governments and hobbyists can help
successful fish conservation initiatives