Amazon Forgotten Fishes

The Amazon Basin hosts over 2,700 fish species, representing 15% of global freshwater fish biodiversity, with 65% being endemic. These fishes provide critical ecosystem services, such as seed dispersal for rainforest regeneration, and are essential for the food security and livelihoods of millions of people. However, they are threatened by habitat fragmentation from dams, deforestation, pollution (particularly mercury from gold mining), overfishing, and climate change. The report advocates for a shift from isolated national strategies to a unified, basin-wide governance framework that integrates scientific data with Indigenous and traditional knowledge to protect river connectivity and sustainable fisheries.

• The Amazon Basin possesses the highest concentration of freshwater fish biodiversity on Earth, with more than 2,700 recorded species, approximately 15% of all known freshwater fishes worldwide.
• Endemism is exceptionally high in the region, with about 65% of Amazonian fish species found nowhere else on Earth, and some sub-basins harboring over 830 unique species.
• Amazonian fishes perform vital ecological roles, including acting as 'mobile nutrient pumps' and dispersing seeds from fallen fruits to regenerate flooded forests.
• Fish are a primary dietary staple for millions in the basin; in some remote riverine communities, consumption exceeds 600 grams per person per day.
• The region supports diverse fisheries, including a commercial sector where at least 200 species are harvested and an ornamental trade exporting tens of millions of fish annually, though the latter has declined since the 1960s-1990s peak due to the rise of captive breeding.
• Freshwater biodiversity is severely threatened by human activities, including dams that fragment connectivity, deforestation that removes riparian habitats, and pollution from oil and mining.
• Mercury used in non-industrial gold mining, which accounts for 83% of anthropogenic mercury emissions in South America, bioaccumulates in fish and poses severe neurotoxic risks to human consumers.
• Climate change is projected to reduce annual river discharge by more than 40% in key regions by mid-century, particularly affecting floodplain species and mountain stream endemics.
• The IUCN Red List identifies 144 threatened Amazonian fish species, but this is likely an underestimate as 334 species are listed as 'Data Deficient'.
• Community-led fisheries management, particularly for the pirarucu, has proven effective, with over 155 initiatives covering nearly 13 million hectares across Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia.
• The report argues for a 'paradigm shift' toward unified, transboundary governance and the implementation of a six-point Emergency Recovery Plan to restore river connectivity and water quality.

APA

Silva, F., Estupiñan, G., Jiménez-Prado, P., López-Casas, S., Flores, V. R., Ruíz, A., Aldous, A., Encalada, A. C., Torres-Bejarano, A. M., Ríos-Touma, B., Carrera, B. S., Freitas, C. E. D. C., Doria, C., Brugere, C., Jézéquel, C., Crepaldi, D., Rosero-López, D., McGrath, D., Agudelo, E., ... Isaac, V. (2026). Amazon Forgotten Fishes. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2616/Amazon_Forgotten_Fishes_ENGLISH_Final.pdf

Chicago

Silva, Fernanda, Guillermo Estupiñan, Pedro Jiménez-Prado, Silvia López-Casas, Vanessa Rodríguez Flores, Adela Ruíz, Allison Aldous, et al. Amazon Forgotten Fishes. WWF International, 2026. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2616/Amazon_Forgotten_Fishes_ENGLISH_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{silva2026amazon, author = {Silva, Fernanda and Estupiñan, Guillermo and Jiménez-Prado, Pedro and López-Casas, Silvia and Flores, Vanessa Rodríguez and Ruíz, Adela and Aldous, Allison and Encalada, Andrea C. and Torres-Bejarano, Angélica María and Ríos-Touma, Blanca and Carrera, Belisario Silva and Freitas, Carlos Edwar de Carvalho and Doria, Carolina and Brugere, Cecile and Jézéquel, Celine and Crepaldi, Daniel and Rosero-López, Daniela and McGrath, David and Agudelo, Edwin and Anderson, Elizabeth and Moya, Enrique and Castro, Fany Kuiru and Loures, Flávia and Echevarría, Gabriela and Herrera-R., Guido A. and Estupiñán, Guillermo and Zuanon, Jansen and Del Aguila, Javier and Zavaleta, Javier and Valdiviezo-Rivera, Jonathan and Abad, Jorge and Oviedo, José Saulo Usma and Bogotá-Gregory, Juan D. and Sousa, Leandro and Moya, Luis and Ândrade, Marcelo and Montoya, Mariana and Frias, Mariana Paschoalini and Pleasant, Mary and Ruffino, Mauro and Goulding, Michael and Charvet, Patricia and Jiménez-Prado, Pedro and Pardo, Raúl and Salles, Rodrigo M. and Martínez, Ronaldo Barthem Rosa Elena Ajiaco and Vento, Rosa and Cahuachi, Rubí and Correa, Sandra Bibiana and Heilpern, Sebastian A. and Kang, Shiteng and Benítez, Silvia and López-Casas, Silvia and Athayde, Simone and Phang, Sui and Isaac, Victoria}, title = {{Amazon Forgotten Fishes}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2616/Amazon_Forgotten_Fishes_ENGLISH_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }