Clearing invasive bass from a South African river gives a critically endangered fish five times more room
Mongabay talks to the ecologists who used nets, spear guns and electrofishing to win back a river.
What happened: The Breekkrans River Restoration Project, about two hours north of Cape Town, has removed invasive spotted bass from 8 km of the upper river, Mongabay reported on Oct. 28. That extended the habitat of the critically endangered doring fiery redfin from 2 km to 10 km. Bass were brought in for angling in the late 1930s and prey on small native fish.
Why it matters: The Breekkrans holds the largest remaining population of the redfin, probably a few hundred adults. Ecologists say all native fish species expanded their range after the bass were removed, and that the method could be used to restore other invaded rivers.
How much agreement is there? Broad agreement. The provincial conservation authority Cape Nature and the researchers report the results; no opposing view is reported.
Could someone help? Anglers can avoid moving fish between waters, and freshwater groups such as the Fynbos Fish Trust, a project partner, support this kind of work.
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Spotted bass
After exploring Eradicating invasive bass gives endangered South African fish room to recover, the invader's home range is described in Spotted bass.
The spotted bass is a North American freshwater fish of the sunfish family, native to the Mississippi River basin and the Gulf states.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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