Clanwilliam sandfish (Labeo seeberi) Case Study

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MBZF Grant 192520635
Fish

Continent: Africa

Country: South Africa

Grant Amount: $12,800

Awarded Date: May 16, 2019

Jeremy Shelton

Freshwater Research Centre


Office 23, Imhoff Farm, Kommetjie Rd, Kommetjie

Cape Town

Western Cape

7975

South Africa

Tel: +27(0) 21 7830155

Mob: +27(0) 74 141 7807

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Saving sandfish: fish rescue and associated monitoring to help conserve one of South Africa’s most threatened and charismatic freshwater fish

This project will implement a sub-set of the key conservation actions outlined in the sandfish Biodiversity Management Plan (Government Notice No. 406,Gazete No.3989 dated 1 April2 016): (1) update and improve knowledge on sandfish distribution and abundance in poorly-studied parts of their range (i.e. outside of the relatively well-studied Doring and Oorlogskloof-Kobee Rivers); (2) undertake a sandfish rescue and translocation which involves rescuing and relocating 300-500 young-of-year sandfish from habitats compromised by water abstraction and impacts of non-native fish, safer habitats upstream in the Biedouw catchment, giving them a chance to survive to adult-hood and spawn, thereby contributing to the greater sandfish population. The translocation will follow IUCN best practice protocols, and is intended as an 'interim conservation action' until a planned larger scale intervention is undertaken by CapeNature; (3) measure 2014 and 2019 translocation successes using surveys at established monitoring sites, and improve knowledge of sandfish population dynamics and distributions in the catchment; and (4) increase advocacy, awareness and scientific information for better-conserving sandfish: a charismatic, threatened freshwater fish that can act as a flagship for healthy freshwater ecosystems to raise awareness and inspire conservation of this species and ecosystem with communities, land-owners, decision-makers and the general public.

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MBZF Grant 192520635 - located in South Africa, Africa