Fish Ark

A milestone in the conservation of Goodeids has been achieved!

Delegates from the Goodeid Working Group and Fish Ark Mexico projects met recently at the inaugural international meeting of the GWG in Barcelona to discuss the current status of Goodeid conservation. During these talks Fish Ark representative Don Kenwood revealed that in addition to the Aqua Lab installation at the Universidad Michoacána in Morelia a new Aqua Lab site (Aqua Lab II) has been established further north at Monterrey which came as unexpected but very welcome news to the majority of attendees. 

Following the unexpected loss of Ivan Dibble in 2009, it has been a challenge for the Fish Ark team to regroup.

Ivan was the principle founder of the project during the late 1990s and left something of a legacy in his wake, but thanks to the efforts of Don, Nigel Hunter, Gary Randall and others the project seems to be in excellent hands with some interesting new plans gathering pace.

During the conference the fact that both, the GWG and Fish Ark, have similar long-therm ambitions was discussed along with potential solutions to any complications or effects on the productivity this might cause.

Most of the Fish Ark team members have been involved in the project since its inception and as a result have developed an excellent network of contacts within Mexico. Don therefore offered to assist the GWG in obtaining up-to-date information regarding the threat status of Goodeid species in the wild.

Furthermore we agreed to divide operations between the two groups. Fish Ark will continue their work preserving Goodeid habitats and developing new breeding centres in Mexico, while the GWG will assist by focussing its efforts on ex situ breeding projects around the world, working hand in hand with Fish Ark towards our common goal.

We are confident this close working relationship will prove mutually beneficial to both groups; both deeply concerned with preventing extinction of these fragile species, where hope and despair are shared and common purposes in life born