The status and distribution of freshwater fish endemic to the Mediterranean basin

Freshwater in the Mediterranean basin is of huge economic, environmental and livelihood importance. However, with a growing population and an increasing number of tourists, the freshwater resources are under great pressure. Since the threatened status of plants and animals is one of the most widely used indicators for assessing the condition of ecosystems and their biodiversity, an assessment was undertaken for freshwater fish in this region. The assessment aims to assist in regional planning through the provision of a baseline dataset. It also hopes to encourage development of a network of regional experts to enable future assessments and the continued updating of the baseline dataset.