European Red List of Freshwater Fishes Jörg Freyhof and Emma Brooks European Red List of Freshwater Fishes Jörg Freyhof and Emma Brooks IUCN Global Species Programme IUCN Regional Office for Europe IUCN Species Survival Commission Published by the European Commission This publication has been prepared by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Commission or IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or IUCN. Citation: Freyhof, J. and Brooks, E. 2011. European Red List of Freshwater Fishes. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Design & Layout by: Tasamim Design - www.tasamim.net Printed by: The Colchester Print Group, United Kingdom Picture credits on cover page: The European Mudminnow (Umbra krameri) is a European endemic found in the Danube and Dniestr basin. Its population has declined by more than 30% in the past 10 years due to river regulation and drainage of wetlands for agriculture which resulted in a reduced number of backwaters. This species is therefore classed as Vulnerable. Photograph © Andreas Hartl. All photographs used in this publication remain the property of the original copyright holder (see individual captions for details). Photographs should not be reproduced or used in other contexts without written permission from the copyright holder. Available from: Publications Office of the European Union, http://bookshop.europa.eu IUCN Publications Services, www.iucn.org/publications A catalogue of IUCN publications is also available. 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Printed in the United Kingdom The text of this book is printed on 115 gsm FSC certified 100% recycled silk paper. ii Table of contents Foreword .......... ...................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................. v Executive summary ............................................................................................................................................... vii 1. Background .......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 The European context ..................................................................................................................................1 1.2 European freshwater fishes: diversity and endemism..................................................................................... 1 1.3 Threat status of species ..................................................................................................................................2 1.4 Objectives of the assessment .........................................................................................................................4 2. Assessment methodology ..................................................................................................................................6 2.1 Global versus regional assessment .................................................................................................................6 2.2 Geographic scope .........................................................................................................................................6 2.3 Taxonomic scope ..........................................................................................................................................7 2.4 Preliminary assessments and evaluation .........................................................................................................7 3. Results and discussion ......................................................................................................................................9 3.1 Threat status of freshwater fishes ...................................................................................................................9 3.2 Status by taxonomic groups ........................................................................................................................11 3.3 Spatial distribution of species ......................................................................................................................11 3.3.1 Species richness .................................................................................................................................11 3.3.2 Distribution of threatened species .....................................................................................................12 3.3.3 Endemic species richness ...................................................................................................................13 3.3.4 Data Deficient species .......................................................................................................................14 3.4 Major threats to freshwater fishes in Europe ...............................................................................................14 3.4.1 Water abstraction ..............................................................................................................................16 3.4.2 Alien species ......................................................................................................................................16 3.4.3 Hydropower and water control dams ................................................................................................17 3.4.4 Pollution ...........................................................................................................................................19 3.5 Population trends ........................................................................................................................................19 4. Conservation measures ...................................................................................................................................21 4.1 Protection of habitats and species in Europe ...............................................................................................21 4.2 Protection of habitats and species in the EU 27 ..........................................................................................21 4.3 Conservation management of freshwater fishes in the EU ..........................................................................23 4.4 Extinction risk versus conservation status ....................................................................................................24 4.5 Red List versus priority for conservation action ..........................................................................................24 5. Conclusion and recommendations ................................................................................................................25 5.1 Overview and recommendations for conservation measures .......................................................................25 5.2 Application of project outputs ....................................................................................................................26 5.3 Future work ................................................................................................................................................26 References ..............................................................................................................................................................27 Appendix 1. Extinct and threatened freshwater fishes at the European and EU 27 level ..........................................29 Appendix 2. Bern Convention and Habitats Directive fish species ..........................................................................34 Appendix 3. Red List status of European freshwater fishes ......................................................................................41 Appendix 4. Methodology for spatial analyses ........................................................................................................53 Appendix 5. Example species summary and distribution map .................................................................................54 iii Foreword Europe is a continent rich in complementary and comprehensive information about natural and cultural heritage, with a the situation