Freshwater fish are the most threatened vertebrate group, with over one-third of species at risk of extinction from pollution, dams, and overextraction.
Freshwater fish dying from eutrophication experience hypoxia and suffocation over extended periods. Fish blocked by dams from reaching spawning grounds experience physiological stress from reproductive failure. Those caught by overfishing in depleted populations experience the welfare harms of bycatch and slaughter without the ecological context to sustain populations. Conservation of freshwater systems protects both individual welfare and population viability.