Waternet expert Jacques van Alphen presents From Sea to Source Guidance during the World Fish Migration Day
02 May 2018Jacques van Alphen works for Waternet and is committed to improve the migration of fish. 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 meters to thousands of kilometers. Important reasons for fish to migrate usually are feeding and reproduction. In the past centuries, we have built many barriers, such as weirs, dams and sluices for water management, hydropower, shipping and land drainage. These barriers prevent fish migrations. Currently, migratory fish within our freshwater ecosystems are threatened around the world and fish stocks are declining rapidly.
Waternet and the public regional water authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht, were involved in the founding of the World Fish Migration Foundation. This foundation aims to help protect and conserve migratory fish worldwide, by bringing together ecologists, engineers, students, river managers and decision makers all over the world. They also aim for global dissemination of knowledge around the importance of free flowing rivers and migratory fish and stimulate and organize activities that contribute towards protecting and conserving migratory fish. One of their main activities is the World Fish Migration Day (You are leaving this website), a day global celebration to create awareness on the importance of open rivers and migratory fish, which is coordinated by the World Fish Migration Foundation (You are leaving this website). On World Fish Migration Day, organizations from around the world organize their own event around the common theme of: Connecting Fish, Rivers and People. On Saturday 21 April, the third edition of the biennial World Fish Migration Day was organized.. On this day, 552 events devoted to improving fish migration in 63 different countries took place on this day – a fantastic result! An event in La Paz, capital of Bolivia, was the headquarter for South America. During a two day conference, organized by the ‘Museo Nacional de Historia Natural’, representatives of the local population of Bolivia shared their heart-wrenching stories about how the decreasing fish stock on which they depend, endangers their livelihood. Moreover, several scientific studies were presented during the conference.
During the World Fish Migration Day, the second edition of the From Sea to Source Guidance was launched by the World Fish Migration Foundation. This book aims to inform, educate and inspire those who want to know much more about how to meet the challenges that lie behind restoration of fish migration in rivers around the world. Our Water expert Jacques van Alphen, who is also member of the steering committee of the World Fish Migration Foundation presented the book during the conference in La Paz. This ‘From Sea to Source 2.0’ shows how rivers are a critical natural resource that sustain us all and support livelihoods, health and wellbeing. Approximately 40% of all fish species in the world reside in freshwater ecosystems, contributing economic and ecological benefits and value. After the launch, Jacques and employees from WFMF were interviewed by the Bolivian TV station Abya Yala Television, and explained about the importance of improving fish migration.
We look forward to the next World Fish Migration Day and the new initiatives it will generate!
