Action to conserve the Sarasins Minnow in Lake Lindu, Central Sulawesi

Species Conservation Fund
Written By
 

© Celebica

Project aims

  • Collect data on the ecology, habitat, and population status

  • Identify important areas in Lake Lindu for the species's conservation

  • Identify and assess threats to the species and to its habitat at Lake Lindu, including the role of invasive fish species

  • Collect interview data on the use of the Lake Lindu and its natural resources by the local communities

  • Identify local stakeholders important for the conservation of the species, as well as its habitat

Results

  • Survey of the Sarasins Minnow at seven sites around the Lake Lindu over 12 months (May 2023-Apr 2024) showing: (1) highest individual counts in June during the middle of the dry season, and in January, during the middle of the rainy season; (2) a peak of juveniles recorded in June; (3) an uneven distribution of the species across survey sites

  • Identification of zones to establish as conservation zones around the Lake Lindu

  • Identification of all threats on the Sarasins Minnow in Lake Lindu: (1) Domestic and urban waste water; (2) Invasive species; (3) Agricultural (rice field); (4) Recreational/tourism activities

  • Conducted an environmental DNA survey detecting seven species of fish including Sarasins Minnow

  • Conducted a survey of invasive species occurance (12 invasive fish species were identified) and an assessment of invasive species’s current/potential threats on Sarasins Minnow, status and population trends, social-economic importance and perception among local community showing that 90% of the public is opposed to invasive species control due to their importance as food and income source

  • Conducted an assessment of people’s awareness of the conservation status of Sarasins Minnow showing an overall lack of awareness and consumption practices of Sarasins Minnow suggesting the species is no longer commonly consumed

  • Identified next conservation actions needed based on the results of this project

Reports

 

AT A GLANCE

 

Organisation: Celebica Conservation Action

Country: Indonesia

Year project started: 2023

Species: Xenopoecilus sarasinorum

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