A hundred Spanish toothcarp have been released into two new ponds created this year
The move comes as part of the agreements signed between these bodies to protect biodiversity and create nuclei populated with this species to ensure its long-term continuity
The initiative is part of the project to recover the Spanish toothcarp, promoted by the Consortium for the Protection and Management of Natural Spaces in the Llobregat Delta
Barcelona Zoo Foundation, Damm and the Llobregat Delta Consortium released 100 Spanish toothcarp into the Llobregat Delta yesterday. The release is included in the current collaboration agreement between organisations forming part of the education plan to save the species, an initiative which seeks to raise awareness about the situation of this Mediterranean fish, declared as in danger of extinction.
The fish released yesterday were born at Barcelona Zoo. They were released at two new ponds created this year with the collaboration of Viladecans Town Council, dug to the size and depth recommended by experts on this species, the goal being to make the release as successful as possible.
Until now, the Llobregat Delta only had two ponds with small established populations of Spanish toothcarp, a species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and critically endangered. The goal of the plan to recover the Spanish toothcarp in the Llobregat Delta focuses on the creation of new population nuclei in different wetland areas, ensuring the long-term continuity of the species. The Barcelona Zoo Foundation is helping by breeding the species, improving its habitats, studying the ecological requisites for the species and monitoring its evolution over time.
Five years committed to the reintroduction of the Spanish toothcarp The Barcelona Zoo Foundation has been committed to the reintroduction of the Spanish toothcarp into its natural habitat since 2018 in collaboration with the Consortium for the Protection and Management of Natural Spaces in the Llobregat Delta. The project has also had the support of Damm since 2021.
The first step to recover the species’ habitat came in February 2019 with digging a pond in the coastal pine wood in the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, in the same location as the only established population of Spanish toothcarp. The positive results enabled further progress and the creation of the two ponds, which yesterday became home for the hundred new fish.
