World Fish Migration Day 2014 (WFMD) takes place on Saturday, 24 May 2014 and is a one day global initiative, with local events worldwide, to create awareness on the importance of open rivers and migratory fish.

WFMD is held to improve the publics’ understanding of the importance of open rivers and migratory fish and their needs. The ability of fish to freely migrate is crucial to achieve healthy fish stocks. While most fish are migratory to some degree, some species such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout, sea lamprey and eel migrate thousands of kilometres to complete their life cycles. If they can’t migrate, the population dies out and this has already happened with many species in different places around the world where barriers such as weirs, dams and sluices, built for water management, hydropower and land drainage, prevent fish from completing their life cycle.

There are some 250 events around the world on WFMD; starting in New Zealand, following the sun and ending as the sun sets on Hawaii. The WFMD will bring global attention for the need for open rivers and free routes for fish migration. It will deliver international press coverage and new fish migration awareness initiatives. The global event will be summarized in a visual presentation with the number of locations, number of participants, photo’s, films, etc, presented to politicians and high-level officers of the European Parliament and to others.

For further details of the day and the events taking place click HERE

If any FishingMagic readers would like to send us pictures of themselves dressed as a fish we will be happy to publish them – and to offer a prize to the best and most original costume!