Mick Agnew Killifish Conservation Fund

The Mick Agnew Killifish Conservation Fund is a dedicated international funding purse awarded in the form of grants, to projects that prioritize the conservation of threatened killifish species around the globe.

Freshwater Life Project raises funds through partnerships, donations, and grants to support localized efforts and innovative solutions for killifish conservation. By unifying killifish researchers, associations, and aquarium hobbyists from all over the world and centralizing our funds into one place, we can facilitate more significant actions that will have greater impacts for killifish and their habitats. Through this initiative we will provide vital financial support to conservation projects focused on the protection, research, and restoration of killifish populations and their habitats worldwide.

This fund was established in memory of Mick Agnew, a long-standing member of the British Killifish Association who dedicated much of his life to Killifish. By contributing, you are helping ensure the survival of these fascinating fish species. Every donation brings us one step closer to a future where killifish thrive in their natural habitats without risk of extinction.

Previous Grant Recipients

Recipient: La. Sociedad Ictiológica Mexicana, A. C. (Mexico)
Species: Profundulus adani
Outcomes: Link

✔ Establish the first captive-breeding population of the newly discovered killifish Profundulus adani, endemic to a short stretch of the Papaloapan River, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Recipient: Hacettepe University (Turkey)
Species: Lake Acigöl killifish (Anatolichthys transgrediens)
Outcomes: Link

✔ Establish the first captive-breeding population of the critically endangered Lake Acigöl killifish in Turkey

✔ Install protective aquatic mesocosms in Lake Acigöl

✔ Establish a backup population of the Lake Acigöl killifish within the grounds of Hacettepe University using the project’s captive-bred specimens

✔ Install six aquariums to study and determine the functional ecological response of the killifish to its competitor, Gambusia holbrooki.

Apply for a grant

To apply for a grant related to killifish conservation please complete the form below giving an outline of your project. Grants are offered to researchers, environmental organizations, and conservation teams working on the ground, enabling them to implement necessary and tangible conservation actions, conduct essential research, and raise awareness of the importance of these unique species.

We will aim to come back to you within 28 working days to confirm your availability for further discussion, this may take place in the form of an online meeting. Should you not hear from us within this time frame, please assume that you have been unsuccessful, however, we will aim to respond to all inquiries time-permitting; if unsuccessful you may request feedback and can re-apply.