Marine Teleost TAG Fish of the Year
Marine Teleost TAG: Fish of the year campaign
In the last two years, the Marine Teleost TAG also highly focused on developing their educational strategy. As a result, they are launching the first Marine Fish of the Year campaign, a year-long campaign aiming to raise awareness, promote sustainable practices, and engage citizens throughout Europe in marine fish conservation. In 2024, the Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is in the spotlight!
This species is endemic to the Banggai Islands off Sulawesi in Indonesia. This beautiful fish is very popular in public aquariums but also in the hobby trade. As human activities continue to impact the reefs where it lives, the population faces unprecedented threats. Recognising the urgency of the situation and the ambassadorial role that this species can play, it is a perfect candidate for this first campaign.
Join the campaign
The campaign will offer various opportunities for participation.
Zoos and aquariums with little time or capacity can still play an essential role by displaying campaign posters throughout the year. Visually compelling posters conveying key messages about the species and the threats it faces will be provided by the TAG. The poster templates can be used as such or easily be customised using the free online software Canva (here and here are the ones that you can adjust to your own needs), with the help of the tutorial available on the EAZA YouTube page.
The centrepiece of the campaign is the International Marine Fish Day, a global event dedicated to marine fish conservation and taking place for the first time on 6 August 2024. Participants wanting to take a more active role in the campaign can mark the day by organising events at their aquarium and creating educational activities that raise awareness of marine fish conservation. Ideas for activities will be proposed by the TAG at the beginning of spring to help you organise this day within your institution.
The TAG has posters available and invites participants to support the TAG and the campaign by uploading their own translations and own poster or educational material so it may be shared across other aquariums.
The materials can be found here