Wetlands International, a globally recognized leader in wetland conservation, has announced a significant strategic partnership with SHOAL, an innovative global collective dedicated to safeguarding Earth’s freshwater habitats and its most imperiled freshwater species. This collaboration, formalized on March 17, 2026, signals a concerted effort to address the escalating biodiversity crisis threatening freshwater ecosystems worldwide. The alliance is built on a shared belief in the power of collective action and a deep understanding of the critical role freshwater environments play in supporting both nature and human well-being.
A Growing Threat to Freshwater Life
Freshwater ecosystems, encompassing rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater, are vital for a vast array of life and provide indispensable services to humanity. However, these environments are facing unprecedented pressures. Decades of neglect, coupled with intensifying impacts from pollution, habitat destruction, over-extraction of water, and climate change, have placed freshwater biodiversity at the forefront of the global extinction crisis. Scientific reports indicate that freshwater species are disproportionately threatened compared to their terrestrial and marine counterparts. For instance, the Living Planet Report has consistently highlighted alarming declines in freshwater species populations, often exceeding those observed in other biomes. Freshwater fish and amphibians, in particular, are identified as the most vulnerable vertebrate groups, with thousands of species teetering on the brink of extinction.
This ecological crisis has profound implications for human societies. Freshwater ecosystems are critical for providing clean drinking water, supporting agriculture through irrigation, enabling fisheries that sustain millions of livelihoods and serve as a primary source of protein for many communities, and regulating climate. The degradation of these systems therefore directly impacts food security, public health, and economic stability.
The Genesis of a Powerful Partnership
Wetlands International’s foundational philosophy emphasizes that safeguarding the world’s wetlands is achievable only through robust partnerships. This includes co-creating solutions with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, as well as forging strategic global alliances to amplify awareness, influence policy, and accelerate conservation actions. It is this very ethos that underpins their new alliance with SHOAL.
SHOAL operates as a dynamic ecosystem of partners and collaborators, united by a common mission to protect the health of freshwater habitats. Their approach is characterized by mobilizing, coordinating, and catalyzing collective action to escalate and accelerate efforts for freshwater species, habitats, and the communities that depend on them. This collaborative model resonates deeply with Wetlands International’s long-standing commitment to integrated conservation strategies.
Coenraad Krijger, CEO of Wetlands International, expressed enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, "We are proud to partner with SHOAL to accelerate global efforts to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems and the astonishing biodiversity within them. We’ve already joined forces on publications such as Africa’s Forgotten Fishes and are looking forward to ramping up our collaboration to deliver greater impact together." This sentiment underscores the immediate synergy and the pre-existing foundation of collaborative work between the two organizations.
A Shared Vision for Freshwater Conservation
The strategic partnership between Wetlands International and SHOAL is designed to leverage the unique strengths and extensive networks of both organizations. Wetlands International brings to the table decades of practical experience in protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems across diverse geographies. Their ongoing freshwater initiatives span a wide spectrum of interventions, including impactful dam and barrier removal projects in Europe aimed at restoring river connectivity, pioneering work in water governance in Ethiopia to ensure equitable and sustainable water management, and the development of alternative sustainable livelihoods in Latin America that reduce pressure on freshwater resources.
Under its new 10-year strategy, Wetlands International is committed to scaling up its work on rivers, lakes, and peatlands. This involves transitioning from site-specific actions to comprehensive landscape-level approaches and intensifying its influence in global forums. The organization also continues its vital support for two key global initiatives: the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000 kilometers of rivers and 30% of degraded wetlands by 2030, and the Peatland Breakthrough, focused on halting and reversing peatland degradation.
The partnership with SHOAL is expected to significantly bolster these efforts, particularly in relation to the protection of migratory freshwater fish. Krijger further elaborated on this crucial aspect: "Under our new strategy, Wetlands International will focus strategically on migratory freshwater fish and their Swimways for the first time. Our new partnership with SHOAL is a key step towards delivering on this priority. Together, we can do far more to save threatened freshwater species and safeguard their freshwater wetlands – wetlands that underpin societies and economies." This explicit focus on migratory species and their aquatic corridors highlights a critical and often overlooked dimension of freshwater conservation, recognizing the interconnectedness of vast river systems and the journeys of their inhabitants.
Expanding the ‘SHOAL’ for Greater Impact
SHOAL’s collaborative model is structured around different tiers of partnership, recognizing that diverse contributions are essential for achieving broad-scale impact. While the specific details of SHOAL’s partner categories were not fully elaborated in the initial announcement, the core principle is clear: the broader and more diverse the collective, the stronger its capacity for conservation. Wetlands International’s entry as a Strategic Partner signifies a deep commitment and a shared long-term vision.
Under this Strategic Partnership, the two organizations will focus on several key areas of collaboration, including:
- Jointly Developing and Implementing Conservation Strategies: This will involve combining SHOAL’s expertise in species-specific conservation planning with Wetlands International’s landscape-level restoration and governance experience.
- Enhancing Research and Monitoring: The partnership aims to pool resources and knowledge to improve our understanding of freshwater biodiversity status, threats, and the effectiveness of conservation interventions. This could include joint data collection, analysis, and the publication of scientific findings.
- Advocacy and Policy Influence: By uniting their voices, Wetlands International and SHOAL will amplify their advocacy efforts to influence national and international policies related to freshwater management, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development.
- Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing: The collaboration will facilitate the exchange of best practices and the development of training programs to build the capacity of local communities, conservation practitioners, and policymakers.
- Mobilizing Financial Resources: A key objective will be to jointly pursue funding opportunities and develop innovative financing mechanisms to support freshwater conservation initiatives.
The image accompanying the announcement, depicting a European eel in England, serves as a poignant reminder of the migratory species that will benefit from this alliance. The European eel, a critically endangered species, undertakes an epic journey from its breeding grounds in the Sargasso Sea to freshwater rivers across Europe, facing numerous threats along its migratory route. The success of such species is intrinsically linked to the health and connectivity of the entire freshwater system, reinforcing the need for integrated, cross-border conservation efforts.
Broader Implications for Global Freshwater Health
The strategic alliance between Wetlands International and SHOAL arrives at a critical juncture for global freshwater ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has repeatedly warned of the dire state of biodiversity, with freshwater ecosystems being among the most severely impacted. The partnership offers a beacon of hope by demonstrating a proactive and collaborative approach to tackle these complex challenges.
The commitment to accelerating action for threatened freshwater species will not only contribute to preserving biodiversity but also yield significant co-benefits for human societies. Healthy freshwater ecosystems are fundamental to ensuring clean water access, supporting food security through sustainable fisheries, and mitigating the impacts of climate change through natural water storage and regulation. By focusing on species that are often indicators of ecosystem health, the partnership aims to trigger broader positive changes across entire river basins and lake systems.
As Coenraad Krijger aptly put it, "We firmly believe that the bigger and broader the SHOAL, the stronger it becomes, and the greater our shared impact will be." This statement encapsulates the essence of the partnership: a recognition that the scale and complexity of the freshwater crisis demand unprecedented levels of collaboration and a collective mobilization of resources and expertise. The alliance is poised to become a significant force in driving ambitious, collaborative conservation that can help bring freshwater species back from the brink and safeguard the vital ecosystems upon which life on Earth depends. The coming years will undoubtedly reveal the tangible outcomes of this powerful union, offering a blueprint for future partnerships in the critical fight for freshwater biodiversity.