Following on from the hugely successful Fishkeeping Extravaganza event where several fishkeeping associations came together to deliver a collaborative aquarium convention last month, the British Killifish Association has pledged a donation of £500 towards a newly formed global fund dedicated to offering grants towards killifish conservation.
The fund, known as the Mick Agnew Killifish Conservation Fund is named in remembrance of the late Mick Agnew, a long-term member of the British Killifish Association, and passionate killifish enthusiast who dedicated much of his life towards this fascinating family of egg-laying fishes known as the Cyprinodontidae, a group of fish species collectively facing worrying levels of local population extinction and sometimes total species loss.
Mick’s fund provides an essential centralized hub for donations from all over the world to be directed and channeled specifically into killifish conservation, the funds from which will go towards killifish habitat preservation, conservation, creation, as well as research, including but not limited to taxonomy, phylogeny, threat assessment, in-situ and ex-situ captive breeding programs, and other works which will result in tangible, measurable results that will benefit threatened killifishes.
Expressions of interest for grants of between £100-£500 can be made directly to Freshwater Life Project and will be granted to projects which fulfill the criteria of being focused on the conservation of killifishes and their habitats, especially those at risk, so long as they result in measurable outcomes demonstrating the actual protection of killifishes. Those interested can learn more here.