In the seasonal pools of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) is already an adult by 3 weeks; it grows up, mates, and dies in just two to three months. It’s the shortest-lived vertebrate on Earth. Learn more: wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_…

Pour AMCEN 20, cette décennie décisive exige des leaders qui se tiennent aux côtés des communautés, investissent dans la nature et fassent entendre la voix de l’Afrique sur la scène mondiale.

A fish catching a bird?? Meet the African tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus, which can leap from the water to catch barn swallows in flight. Impressive, right? Learn more about these and other dazzling freshwater fish: africa.panda.org

Africa’s freshwater fishes are in crisis, but there’s a plan. The Emergency Recovery Plan for Freshwater Biodiversity offers a science-based, practical roadmap to reverse the decline. Learn more: wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_…

Africa holds over 1.3 million km² of freshwater, supporting an extraordinary diversity of freshwater fish species found nowhere else on Earth. It’s time to put freshwater at the heart of conservation and development. africa.panda.org

Spanning over 4 million km², the Congo River Basin is the second-largest river basin on Earth (after the Amazon) and one of the most biodiverse, with over 1,200 freshwater fish species, 75% of which are found nowhere else. Learn more: africa.panda.org

Wetlands are at the heart of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) landscape in Southern Africa. As #RamsarCOP15 begins, the KAZA region serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to protect and restore Africa’s wetlands, for the benefit of people, wildlife, and the planet.

Did you know there are fish below the Victoria Falls? Beneath the world’s largest curtain of falling water, fish have adapted to fast, turbulent gorge waters, including fierce predators like the African tigerfish. Learn more africa.panda.org

Across Africa, killifish lay their eggs in mud. During droughts, the eggs pause development and lie dormant. In the Zambezi, scientists have even linked declines in killifish to falling elephant populations. Discover more in our new report: africa.panda.org

What gives us hope about KAZA? The people. Across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, communities are working together to protect the rivers, wetlands and wildlife that sustain life in the Kavango-Zambezi landscape.

Why does KAZA matter? For the people who live here, wetlands mean water for crops, fish for families, grazing for livestock, and protection against floods and drought. As we gather at #RamsarCOP15 in Zimbabwe, KAZA shows what’s possible when people and nature thrive together.

📣New analysis: Years of research by scientists on plastics and health, brought together in an analysis by WWF and the University of Birmingham, reveals that plastics are not just harming nature, but people too. 📥 Download the full report 🔗 panda.org/plastictreaty

This fish can breathe on land and bite your finger! The African lungfish is a prehistoric predator that’s been around for 380 million years. In drought, it burrows into the mud, wraps itself in a slime cocoon, and waits out the dry season for up to 3 years.africa.panda.org

At least 85% of Tanzania’s fish production comes from freshwater. Yet these ecosystems remain overlooked and dangerously underprotected. If we want Tanzania’s inland fisheries to keep delivering for people and nature, we need to start valuing them like the lifelines they are.

These 12 countries lead the continent in wild freshwater fish production, sustaining millions with food, income and nutrition. From Lake Victoria to the Congo River, these waters are lifelines, but they need urgent protection to stay that way. Learn more: africa.panda.org

Kapenta. Matemba. Omena. Usipa. Dagaa. In Tanzania alone, freshwater dagaa fisheries generate over US$127 million in export value and contribute 1.1% to GDP. Fast-growing and fast-reproducing, they bounce back quickly, making them a more sustainable source of protein.

Salonga National Park, Africa’s largest tropical rainforest park and part of the vast Congo Basin, harbours more than 150 fish species in its rivers, swamps, and peat bogs. But destructive practices like fishing with toxins are threatening this balance.

Africa leads the world in freshwater fish consumption per person. 🎣 On average, each person on the continent eats 2.56kg of freshwater fish a year, the highest per capita rate globally. Learn more: africa.panda.org

Think your fish tank is just for décor? Think again. Freshwater aquariums can lower stress, improve sleep & even reduce blood pressure. But unregulated wild capture threatens rare species, including. 1,500 from Africa. Trade must work for nature: africa.panda.org

🎣 Of the 3,320 freshwater fish species assessed in Africa: 714 are threatened 169 Critically Endangered 243 Endangered However, 558 species are so poorly known they’re classified as Data Deficient That’s 16% higher than the global average. Learn more: africa.panda.org