Fish fauna, Belgium, Wallonia; extinct and rare species,; endangered species, conservation measures
Abstract :
[en] The present report is a synthesis of a fifteen-year investigation on the Freshwater fishes of Wallonia. The forty one indigenous species recorded (see table 3) can be classified as follows with regards to the status of their populations: i) 7 anadromous migratory species (Petromyzon marinus, Lampetra fluviatilis, Acipenser sturio, Alosa fallax, Alosa alosa, Coregonus oxyrhincus, Salmo salar) are locally extinct; ii) 4 species were recorded in small numbers (Platychtis flesus, Salmo trutta trutta, Lota lota, and Leuciscus idus) and are extinct as reproductive populations; iii) Misgurnus fossilis, Cobitis taenia, Leucaspius delineatus and Rhodeus sericeus are rare, very locally distributed and highly endangered species for which severe conservation measures are urgently needed (legal protection, prohibition of angling, natural reserves, protection of the habitats and biotopes); iv) all the litophilous species (Alburnoïdes bipunctatus, Barbus barbus, Chondrostoma nasus, Phoxinus phoxinus, Leuciscus cephalus, Leuciscus leuciscus, Thymallus thymallus, Salmo trutta fario, Cottus gobio, and Lampetra planeri) are suffering a strong decline of their populations especially in the heavy polluted Schelt basin and in several area in the more preserved river Meuse basin as well. The conservation of these species could be achieved by limiting the incidence of water pollution, eutrophication process and physical alterations of the habitats, improving some fishing regulations (legal sizes, closed seasons), developing methods of artificial reproduction and propagation, establishing integral reserves in any aquatic biotope with a relict or highly ecological representative populations of fish community; v) Most other species have locally desappeared or declined due to chronic acute pollution but on the whole they are still widespread all over the country and even rather common in their particular habitats; they do not require any special conservation measures, except those relating to a) the maintenance of a sufficient water quality and habitat convenience for reproduction and to b) an improvement of the fishery management, especially regarding the efficiency of restoking.
Disciplines :
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Philippart, Jean-Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Vranken, Martin; Université de Liège > Service d'Ethologie - Aquarium
Language :
French
Title :
Atlas des Poissons de Wallonie. Distribution, Ecologie, Ethologie, Pêche, Conservation
Alternative titles :
[en] Handbook of the Fishes of Wallonia, southern Belgium. Distribution, Ecology, Ethology, Population abundance, and Conservation
Publication date :
1983
Journal title :
Cahiers d'Éthologie Appliquée
ISSN :
0770-3767
Publisher :
Université de Liège. Institut de Zoologie, Liège, Belgium
Special issue title :
Atlas des Poissons de Wallonie
Volume :
Vol 3, suppl. 1-2
Pages :
1-395
Commentary :
Supplément 1-2 du Vol. 3 (année 1983) dans la collection 'Enquêtes et Dossiers' D/1983/0480/20
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