One kid.
One wish.

Joey is a kid obsessed with marine life. Currently, his efforts are focused on one of the biggest, most prehistoric freshwater fish on the planet. The arapaima — also known as the piraruca in Brazil and the paiche in other parts of South America. These giants live in rivers that most people never see.

When he learned that these majestic creatures were threatened by over-hunting, poaching, and environmental challenges — he decided he wasn't going to just watch it happen.

Joey's favorite fish is the arapaima — one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, found in the Amazon basin. It can grow over 10 feet long and breathe air. It's been swimming in those rivers for millions of years.

But the arapaima is under threat. Overfishing, habitat loss, and water pollution have pushed it toward extinction in many parts of its range. Joey learned this and it changed everything for him.

Joey figured something out that a lot of adults miss: the health of a river's fish tells you everything about the health of that ecosystem. If the giants are gone, the river is in trouble. And if the river is in trouble, so is every species that depends on it — including the ones nobody's counting.

Freshwater fish are disappearing faster than almost any other group of animals on Earth. Most people don't know their names. Joey thinks that's part of the problem — and part of what he can fix.

Joey's plan is simple: learn everything he can about a threatened species, build awareness around it, and shine a light on the scientists already doing the work to protect it. Every research session is a log entry. Every conversation is evidence that a 7-year-old can make a difference.

He's not waiting to grow up to make a difference. The Fish Wish Project is happening now — one adventure, one discovery, one conversation at a time.