Clanwilliam sandfish (Labeo seeberi)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 192520635

Saving sandfish: fish rescue and associated monitoring to help conserve one of South Africa’s most threatened and charismatic freshwater fish

This project will implement a sub-set of the key conservation actions outlined in the sandfish Biodiversity Management Plan (Government Notice No. 406,Gazete No.3989 dated 1 April2 016): (1) update and improve knowledge on sandfish distribution and abundance in poorly-studied parts of their range (i.e. outside of the relatively well-studied Doring and Oorlogskloof-Kobee Rivers); (2) undertake a sandfish rescue and translocation which involves rescuing and relocating 300-500 young-of-year sandfish from habitats compromised by water abstraction and impacts of non-native fish, safer habitats upstream in the Biedouw catchment, giving them a chance to survive to adult-hood and spawn, thereby contributing to the greater sandfish population. The translocation will follow IUCN best practice protocols, and is intended as an 'interim conservation action' until a planned larger scale intervention is undertaken by CapeNature; (3) measure 2014 and 2019 translocation successes using surveys at established monitoring sites, and improve knowledge of sandfish population dynamics and distributions in the catchment; and (4) increase advocacy, awareness and scientific information for better-conserving sandfish: a charismatic, threatened freshwater fish that can act as a flagship for healthy freshwater ecosystems to raise awareness and inspire conservation of this species and ecosystem with communities, land-owners, decision-makers and the general public.