-TV angler says mega-fish are disappearing even in the most remote parts of the world-

Angler and biologist Jeremy Wade admits his scariest fishing moments are not catching large, predatory fish but what the future holds for those fish as they vanish from troubled freshwater systems. Following recent figures which show that globally, freshwater megafauna populations declined by 88% from 1970 to 2012 with mega?fish* exhibiting the greatest global decline (−94%), Jeremy talks candidly in an interview being released to mark World Rivers Day on 22nd September.

In the companion film [available here and short edit here] to the Netflix Our Planet series, created by Silverback Films and in collaboration with WWF, Jeremy outlines his concerns about fish populations in rivers all over the world. The angler, reflecting on a decade of making TV programmes in some of the remotest areas on the planet, has witnessed the decline with his own eyes but realises that for most people it is out-of-sight and out-of-mind because it’s happening beneath the water’s surface.

Jeremy Wade said: “Some of the most iconic inhabitants of our freshwater systems are in the process of disappearing and this is hugely significant because most of these creatures are apex predators and are therefore really good indicators of the health of freshwater ecosystems, which all life depends on - including ourselves.”

The film is released ahead of World Rivers Day on 22nd September when WWF aims to raise awareness of the importance of fresh water for both people and wildlife and why it’s critical to restore and maintain freshwater flow. Many rivers across the world no longer flow uninterruptedly and when this happens ecosystems can be put under stress. All life on land relies upon fresh water for survival. Yet, most of the fresh water on earth is inaccessible to us; 99% is locked away deep underground or held frozen as ice in the polar regions and as glaciers- the 1% of water that does flow is what all life on land depends upon.

Stuart Orr, WWF Freshwater Practice Lead: “Fresh water fish are the world’s forgotten fish even though they feed hundreds of millions and provide livelihoods for millions more – and their numbers will keep falling until we take action. We need an Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity, which includes governments prioritising environmental-flows – ensuring the quantity and timing of river flows required for people and nature to thrive.”

Jeremy has been fishing rivers for over 50 years, inspired by growing up and living right next to one and starting his life long passion at the age of seven with a roach catch. What he’s noticed is that, even in the most remote places, fish are getting hard to catch - he feels that anglers including himself have a responsibility to shine a spotlight on the health of rivers.

He explains: “One thing we all take for granted about a river is that it keeps on flowing but the trouble is if we take too much out of the system that flow stops, the river ceases to exist - and this impacts the creatures that depend on it. Fish are getting harder to find even in places I’ve previously visited with pristine environments. The Essequibo river in Guyana for example was home to all sorts of incredible fish but in the course of just a few years numbers have dropped radically and it’s shocking.

“When people see me on TV pulling out these huge gnarly toothy fish they often say to me ‘Don’t you find that really scary?’ In fact, what makes me really scared is the idea of a world without these creatures. If you can’t find these monsters then that’s a sign that the whole ecosystem has broken down in that habitat, that the water quality has degraded and if we get to that situation where that is widespread we are in big trouble - far worse than having a finger bitten off by a fish!”

The angler is now calling on everyone to do their bit for freshwater river systems and to help restore rivers. Go to OurPlanet.com and see how you can help by watching ‘5 steps to help save our planet’ and and join people from around the world who are calling for urgent action to protect and restore nature: OurPlanet.com/voice.

To find out more about our planet’s freshwater go to OurPlanet.com and view ‘How to save our freshwater’, a film narrated by Sir David Attenborough where he reveals the importance of fresh water for life on land and how renewable energy and smart farming can help keep our fresh water flowing.

Follow Our Planet on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and be part of the conversation with #ShareOurPlanet.

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Notes to editors:

*Greater than 6ft in length – larger than the average human. They're mostly found in freshwater systems.

About the Netflix Our Planet series

The series launched on 5 April 2019, showcasing the extraordinary place we all call home. From the creator of Planet Earth, Silverback Films and in collaboration with WWF, the eight-part series features never-before-seen footage of wildlife and their habitats while also revealing why the natural world matters to us all and what steps must be taken to preserve it.

The ambitious four-year Our Planet project has been filmed in 50 countries across all the continents of the world, with over 600 members of crew capturing more than three and a half thousand filming days, and will focus on the breadth of the diversity of habitats around the world, from the remote Arctic wilderness and mysterious deep oceans to the vast landscapes of Africa and diverse jungles of South America.

The series is live on Netflix, go to Netflix.com/OurPlanet. The series promotes the shared responsibility we all have to protect the health of our home, highlighting that we may be the last generation that has the chance to address the challenges humankind has created.

About OurPlanet.com

Through the series and WWF Our Planet initiatives, the charity is taking the opportunity to raise awareness, educate, and shift attitudes towards conservation. An array of free online resources at OurPlanet.com have been created to help people of all ages understand the importance of Earth’s habitats and how they can help safeguard them for people and wildlife for generations to come. The website is focused around the eight biomes introduced in the series and enables visitors to take a deep dive into the most pressing challenges and solutions facing our natural world.

OurPlanet.com will also provide a wealth of educational resources for schools, youth groups and families to engage young people in the global conversation around the series. These include downloadable classroom materials and guides for educators, an ‘Our Planet Live’ platform offering live link-ups with experts for classrooms all around the world, and a ground-breaking free nature ID app called Seek, developed for Our Planet by iNaturalist, which helps budding naturalists to gain a better understanding of their local environment and global biodiversity.