Freshwater fish - Red List: Trout now classified as endangered
The trout is considered an endangered fish in Germany for the first time. This is according to the new Red List for freshwater fish and lampreys in Germany. A total of 21 species have been upgraded to an endangered category, reported the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin, which presented the list. This means that more than half of the native species are now considered "endangered" or already "extinct". The list has been updated for the first time since 2009. Lampreys are fish-like, phylogenetically very old vertebrates.
The trout (Salmo trutta) was upgraded from "not endangered" to "endangered". According to the IGB, the population is now estimated to be in decline in five federal states - including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where large populations once existed.
Advice on consumption
Nevertheless, he does not advise against eating trout from Germany under any circumstances, says IGB research group leader Christian Wolter, one of the main authors of the Red List. "Most of the German trout on the market comes from small trout pond farms that produce very good food." The situation is different with trout that are fattened in South America, smoked in Morocco and then marketed in Germany. This results in high environmental damage.
"For the Red List, we only assessed the wild stocks," emphasizes Wolter. "And even if the stocks are declining, the anglers working to protect them should also reap the rewards of their efforts and eat a trout they have caught themselves every now and then," he adds. Without the efforts of anglers to preserve the many small trout streams, the species would probably be in a worse state.
Habitat loss and climate change
With around 10 percent of freshwater fish and lamprey species extinct, Germany is well above the European average of 2.5 percent, according to the IGB. The causes include the loss of habitats due to river engineering and pollution as well as climate change, says IGB research group leader Christian Wolter, one of the main authors of the Red List.
According to IGB, many places lack so-called oxbow lakes and shallowly flooded floodplains where fish fry can develop undisturbed. Weirs and dams that interrupt fish migration routes are also a cause of the decline of many species. Added to this are the effects of climate change, such as higher water temperatures and less oxygen in the water.
More than half of the species are endangered or extinct
The list now classifies 38 species as "endangered", compared to 22 species in 2009. "We have seen a very clear deterioration in the endangered status of native freshwater fish and lampreys over the last fourteen years," says Wolter.
According to the report, 52 percent of species are currently classified as "endangered" or already "extinct or lost". That is 47 of the 90 established native species. Only 36 percent are considered "not endangered". The remaining species are "extremely rare", are on the early warning list or cannot be classified due to a lack of data.
"Appropriate aid and protection measures known for a long time"
"For most freshwater fish and lampreys, the main causes of endangerment and suitable aid and protection measures have been known for a long time," said Wolter. "One major problem is that, as a society, other functions are often more important to us, especially for watercourses: Flood protection, navigation, drainage, wastewater discharge, power generation, water extraction, heat discharge count more here than ecological criteria."
Sturgeons are also considered to be particularly endangered: seven of the eight sturgeon species found in Europe are "threatened with extinction" throughout Europe, while the eighth is now considered "critically endangered", writes the IGB. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is also still threatened with extinction in Germany despite reintroductions. "The passability of rivers for migratory fish such as the Atlantic salmon must be further improved, if only to mitigate the threat posed to this cold-loving species by climate change," said Wolter.
Read also:
- Floods: water levels remain critical in many places
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- Continuous operation in the flood areas
- Flood situation remains tense in many places
- Christianity Wolter, the research group leader at the IGB in Berlin, noted that despite the trout's endangered status, German trout is still safe to consume due to excellent farming practices in small trout pond farms.
- The declining population of trout is not only a concern in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, two of Germany's renowned fishing regions, but also in five other federal states, according to the IGB.
- As part of the updated Red List, 21 freshwater fish and lamprey species in Germany have been categorized as endangered, highlighting the alarming state of nature conservation efforts in the country.
- For Food enthusiasts, fresh trout from South America might be a common choice, but its production method in Morocco incurs significant environmental damage, resulting in a higher environmental footprint than German-produced trout.
- In South America, trout farming practices may lead to habitat destruction and water pollution, contributing to the overall environmental impact and posing a significant threat to the natural population of freshwater fish.
- The Moroccan government could explore sustainable farming practices and promote environmentally friendly methods to minimize the environmental damage associated with imported trout, taking a cue from Germany's success in maintaining high-quality trout production without compromising nature.
- Beyond Germany, Morocco, and Bavaria, nature conservation efforts across countries faced by habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and other threats should be strengthened to protect endangered species like trout and ensure their survival in the future of environmental science and conservation.
Source: www.stern.de
