Our next webinar on migratory freshwater fish
Webinar | Organised by the Trans-European Swimways Network, IUCN and the Global Swimways Initiative
🗓 Date: 18th November 2025 | 🕒 Time: 10:00 – 11:00 CET
📍 Online Event – Teams
🔗 Register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/df405b07-8c47-457a-964b-acd195ef4036@26a3fd43-5ba9-415c-b904-54408786d21d
Migratory freshwater fish are vital to the health of rivers, wetlands, and communities — yet their populations have been declining at alarming rates for the past decades. Recent updates of IUCN’s global and European Red List assessments provide us with a clearer picture of the threat status of migratory fish and the threats they face.
Promising initiatives led by passionate researchers, practitioners, NGOs or local communities are already halting this decline and enable recovery of these too -often-forgotten fish, working in unison towards the better management, conservation and restoration of swimways, in Europe and beyond.
Join the Trans-European Swimways Network, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Global Swimways Initiative for an insightful webinar exploring how these Red List findings can help guide action towards recovery of migratory freshwater fish populations.
We’ll discuss:
- The global status of freshwater fauna, a quarter of which is at direct risk of extinction;
- Key results from the latest IUCN Red List assessments for migratory freshwater fishes in Europe, the main drivers of decline and emerging conservation priorities for migratory fish;
- How the restoration of swimways can reconnect rivers, revive fish populations, and strengthen freshwater ecosystems, with practical developments on Global Swimways work.
This webinar will bring together experts, policymakers, and practitioners working to restore Europe’s rivers and wetlands (+ you, regardless of where your expertise or interest lie) — to take stock of the present situation and chart a hopeful course for migratory freshwater fishes, from Red List to restored, from threatened to Green List. 🐟
Meet our speakers:
Catherine Sayer | IUCN | Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team | Lead for Freshwater Biodiversity
Catherine is the lead for freshwater biodiversity in IUCN’s Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team. Her work focusses on increasing the representation of freshwater species on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, using this data to guide conservation action, policy and management, through the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) for example. She joined IUCN in 2014, with a broad conservation background, and has been at the forefront of Swimways conservation globally through her involvement in the Global Swimways Initiative as well as in our Trans-European Swimways Programme.
Matthew Ford | IUCN | Lead Assessor for European Freshwater Fishes
Matthew coordinates the assessment of Europe’s freshwater fish species under The IUCN Red List, identifying key threats and conservation priorities. He has contributed extensively to research on freshwater fish diversity, distribution, and extinction risk. His work is of utmost importance as it supports evidence-based strategies to protect vulnerable aquatic species across Europe and beyond.
Twan Stoffers | Wageningen University & Research, Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology at the Aquaculture Biology and Fisheries Ecology group (AFI) | Global Swimways Initiative’s migratory fish database coordinator
Twan is a freshwater ecologist and project manager at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). He specializes in fish ecology, river restoration, and floodplain dynamics, focusing on how habitat diversity and connectivity support healthy aquatic ecosystems. With a background in aquatic ecology and extensive experience linking research with practice, Twan works to translate scientific insights into effective restoration and management strategies that enhance river biodiversity and resilience.