What is World Fish Migration Day?
World Fish Migration Day is a one-day global celebration to raise awareness for the importance of free-flowing rivers and migratory fish. The first celebration was in 2014 and on May 25, 2024 we will celebrate the sixth edition! On this biennial international day of events, organisations from around the world organise their event around the common theme of FREE FLOW.Why celebrate World Fish Migration Day?
Many fish need to migrate to reproduce, feed and complete their life cycles. They are a crucial link in the food chain and play an essential role in creating healthy and productive river systems. Furthermore, they are vital to the livelihood of millions of people around the world. They are ecologically, culturally, economically, and recreationally important! However, many are critically endangered or threatened. We see it as our shared responsibility to find solutions to restore fish migration, recover healthy rivers and prevent future degradation and species extinction! To accomplish this brighter future, an excellent place to start is by educating others and raising awareness about the current situation as well as discover and implement solutions to the challenge.What is a Migratory Fish?
Migratory fish swim short or long distances daily, monthly or annually, to complete their life cycle, mate and feed! Some migratory fish migrate up and down rivers, others between rivers and oceans, and others across the oceans. Are there some migratory fish species you may know? Salmon migrate up rivers as adults to spawn in the same river they were born. On the flipside, freshwater eels are born in the ocean but migrate epic distances to carry out their lives in rivers. Bull sharks migrate up rivers and back through the oceans to breed and feed. And there are many more examples! Check out our downloads page for some cool fish fact sheets. Learn about their migratory routes and about some species you may have never even heard of!
Goals of World Fish Migration Day
We need to ensure the survival of these species for generations to come. But many times, fish do not receive the proper attention they deserve. For this reason, it is important we raise awareness about the plight of migratory fish and the importance of their survival not only for the environment but also for us. Creating awareness is an essential first step to make real change. The primary purpose of World Fish Migration Day is to improve the public's understanding of the importance of migratory fish, and how to prevent negatively impacting them. The next step is to enable citizens on the world to take action on these topics. Ultimately, we aim to create sustainable commitments from NGOs, governments and industry on safeguarding rivers and restoring swimways or migratory fish.
World Fish Migration Day 2022 events
2024World Fish Migration Day 2024
May 25, 2024. "Free Flow" edition: 77 different countries 312 events + 1000 organisation involved 50.000 event attendees +1 M people engage through social media WFMD Art Award with more than 500 artworks submitted2022World Fish Migration Day 2022
May 21, 2022. "Break Free!" Record breaking results of that year: 200,000,000 People engaged through media 78 different countries 473 events. 3,100 Organizations involved 70,000 WFMD Event Attendees +1,000 Kilometres of Rivers Opened Up The Fish Flags art contest increased the reach with young generations2020World Fish Migration Day 2020
October 24, 2020. "Love flows!" Inspiring Connections Despite The Pandemic : 120 Million+ Engaged through Events, Media Outlets and Social Platforms 362 Events 72 Countries 1,500+ Organizations involved 34,000 WFMD Event Attendees 2,000+ Kilometres of Rivers Opened Up2018World Fish Migration Day 2018
The biggest World Fish Migration Day ever! "Happy Fish". Results of that year: +50,000,000 People reached through media 570 Events 63 Countries 3,000 200,000 People engaged by events. +10,000,000 people reached on social media2016World Fish Migration Day 2016
The second World Fish Migration Day themed "Fish can't travel like we can". Results of that year were impressive: 450 Events 63 countries 82.000 visitors to events 2,000 organizations involved 70.000.000 people reached worldwide +15.000.000 people reached on social media2014World Fish Migration Day 2014
The first ever World Fish Migration Day with events in over 40 countries.
