Why we’re going on Spawning Strike for World Fish Migration Day
Emily Cooper
19/10/20
Spawning strike? What on earth?
Forgive us for being crude, but we believe that abstaining from, uh... spawning... is a great way to show solidarity with our freshwater friends. Each year, a huge number of fish are prevented from spawning. As their most primal instincts drive them to migrate on an often epic journey to their spawning grounds, they find themselves facing often insurmountable, man-made barriers. These can take a variety of forms—dams, pipes, culverts, weirs, levees, and more—but the end result is the same; declining populations of fish with decreasing genetic diversity. We want to use the Spawning Strike to raise awareness of the challenges faced by migratory fish every single day.Why should I care about migratory fish?
The impact of migratory fish is huge. They form the basis of people's diets and livelihoods across the world; provide an important source of recreation and tourism; and act as a vital part of the wider food chain. Without them, the world would be a very different place. They may not have the cute-and-fluffy appeal of the mammals who we are much more eager to protect, but migratory fish underpin our economy, our level of food security, and the functioning of the wider ecosystem.
Okay, I'm sold. What can I do to help migratory fish?
- Volunteer with your local Rivers Trust: although the pandemic has put a lot of projects on holds, many of our local Trusts are slowly beginning to offer volunteer opportunities again. Find your local Trust and get in touch to find out more about how you can get involved.
- Donate to The Rivers Trust: your donation will help us to support our local Trusts in delivering positive change for fish populations
- Find out more on World Fish Migration Day: there are a huge number of events taking place around the globe. Due to the pandemic, more events than ever are now taking place online - making World Fish Migration Day the perfect time to learn more about fish and their habitats.
- Join the #SpawningStrike on Twitter: okay, you don't actually have to strike if you don't want to - but help us get the hashtag trending! Direct people towards this blog, or to the World Fish Migration Day website for more information. Feel free to change your profile picture below (right click and "Save as").
We're incredibly proud to be a partner of DiadES. This project aims to enhance the ecosystem services provided by diadromous fishes in the Atlantic Area by creating innovative tools to ignite a transnational management under present and future climatic conditions.