In the Spotlight

Silent Streams?  Escalating Endangerment for North American Freshwater Fish: Nearly 40 Percent Now At-Risk

From the USGS Press Release: Nearly 40 percent of fish species in North American streams, rivers and lakes are now in jeopardy, according to the most detailed evaluation of the conservation status of freshwater fish in the last 20 years.

The 700 fishes now listed represent a staggering 92 percent increase over the 364 listed as "imperiled" in the previous 1989 study published by the American Fisheries Society. Researchers classified each of the 700 fishes listed as either vulnerable (230), threatened (190), or endangered (280). In addition, 61 fishes are presumed extinct. Go to the American Fisheries Society Imperiled Freshwater and Diadromous Fishes of North America website to access to the list of imperiled freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America.

Partnership in Action

USGS is one of the coalition members in the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), which brings together Federal and State agencies, Native American Tribes and Alaskan Natives, and sport fishing and conservation groups to collaborate on fish habitat conservation and restoration around the country.

To learn more about National Fish Habitat Action Plan visit its Web site at http://www.fishhabitat.org.

Additional Resources

For a variety of resources on fish and other aquatic species from government agencies, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and private industry visit the site of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Node of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII).