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Decline in freshwater fish since 1970Freshwater fish are disappearing faster than almost any other group of animals on Earth — and most people have no idea. Poaching, commercial overfishing, and the slow destruction of river habitat are wiping out species that took millions of years to evolve.
The Fish Wish Project exists to fight back — one species, one researcher, one conversation at a time. Joey picks a threatened fish, learns everything about it, builds awareness around it, and shines a light on the scientists already doing the work to protect it.
Freshwater fish populations have collapsed by an average of 76% since 1970. The biggest drivers aren't abstract — they're poaching and commercial overfishing. Species like the Arapaima are targeted for their size, their meat, and the simple fact that no one is watching.
Habitat destruction makes it worse. Dams fragment migration routes. Floodplains get cleared. Spawning grounds disappear. The fish that survive the nets and the spears have fewer and fewer places left to go.
Every Fish Wish Project year generates awareness, builds knowledge, and shines a light on the scientists doing field work. Joey researches the species, documents what he learns, and directs every effort toward amplifying the researchers working to protect them from poaching and overharvest.
The goal is simple: make sure people know these species exist, know they're threatened, and know the names of the scientists fighting to save them — in the Amazon and the other great river systems of the world. One kid. One species. One river at a time.