Fynbos fish revival
Restoring rivers | Saving species | Connecting communities
The Fynbos Fish Revival aims to prevent the extinction of South Africa’s unique and highly threatened freshwater fish species by restoring rivers in the Cape Floristic Region, removing invasive species, and building partnerships with local communities to ensure that both biodiversity and people benefit from healthy freshwater ecosystems. We are committed to improving the conservation status of the region’s 10 most threatened freshwater fish species by 2035.
>>>5-YEAR IMPACT REPORT OUT NOW<<<
Download report here.
10 of the region’s 24 endemic freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction
Freshwater fish are the most threatened species group in South Africa and the Western Cape Province (also known as the Fynbos Region) is at the epicenter of South Africa’s freshwater fish emergency, with a higher proportion of threatened endemic freshwater fish than anywhere else in the country, and perhaps the continent.
Threats include anthropogenic impacts on water quality and water quantity, climate change and invasive species, but predation non-native fish is recognized as the top threat to the regions’ endemic freshwater fishes. Urgent conservation action is needed to restore priority aquatic ecosystems and safe guard threatened species from extinction.
MISSION
We work collaboratively with land owners, communities, conservationists, scientists and the public to restore critical freshwater habitats and undertake urgent conservation interventions to safeguard the region’s most threatened freshwater fishes from extinction before its too late. Our goal is to improve the conservation status of the Cape’s 10 threatened freshwater fish species by 2035.
Develop and action recovery plans for the 10 threatened Fynbos Fish species by 2035
CONSERVATION ACTION
There are currently four active FFR conservation projects underway working to recover threatened species of Fynbos Fish and restore critical habitats:
clanwilliam sandfish
Verlorenvlei Redfin
doring fiery redfin
Spotted rock catfish
berg Breede witvis
The Fynbos Fish Revival 5-year impact report shows measurable progress, and lays a solid foundation for upscaling over the next decade
BIODIVERSITY IMPACT
22
Kilometers of critical fish habitat restored
>7000
Invasive fish removed from critical river habitats
4500
endemic fish reintroduced to the wild
20
Hectares of critical river habitat cleared of invasive alien trees
HUMAN IMPACT
12
local community members unskilled and employed
1285
days of employment for Cederberg community members
5
landowners who established threatened fish sanctuary dams
107
highschool students involved in freshwater fish conservation
SCIENCE-BASED CONSERVATION ACTION
Shelton J, Weyl O, Van Der Walt J, Marr S, Impson D, Maciejewski K, Tye D, Dallas H, Esler K (2017) Effect of an intensive mechanical removal effort on a population of non-native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in a South African headwater stream. Aquatic Conservation, Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 27(5): 1051–1055. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2752
Kajee M, Dallas HF, Griffiths CL, Kleynhans CJ and Shelton JM. 2023. The Status of South Africa’s Freshwater Fish Fauna: A Spatial Analysis of Diversity, Threat, Invasion, and Protection. Fishes 8 (12): 571. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8120571.
COMMUNITY-FUELLED RIVER RESTORATION
STORIES ABOUT OUR WORK
national geographic
biographic
cnn
farmers weekly
times live
mail & guardian
the nature conservancy
university of Cape Town
daily maverick
news 24
getaway
wwf
FEATURED FILMS
OUTREACH
We work with Youth 4 Conservation to create immersive, hands on conservation experiences for young South Africans.
CALL TO ACTION
Support the Fynbos Fish Revival by making a donation to our on-the-ground conservation work, by sharing our films and stories with your community or by adding freshwater fish observations via iNaturalist.
FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
