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Read more Ongoing efforts to safeguard the Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin through monitoring

CapeNature (Western Cape Nature Conservation Board)Ref: https://www.capenature.co.za/news/2026/ongoing-efforts-to-safeguard-the-critically-endangered-tradouw-redfin-through-monitoring

Official source

Source domain: capenature.co.za

Collected on 28 June 2026

Always confirm details on the official source before acting.

Our copy (archived 14 July 2026)Official source

What this means

This document is a CapeNature news article dated 3 Jun 2026 about ongoing efforts to safeguard the Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin (Pseudobarbus burchelli) through monitoring. It reports that monitoring initiated in 2012 shows a continuing range decline, with the Tradouw River population dropping to below detectable levels, and that the remaining stronghold is the upper Huis River tributary near Barrydale in the Western Cape. The article highlights threats including invasive fish, pollution, water abstraction, and habitat degradation, notes that the upper Huis River is free of invasive fish while the lower Huis River is heavily impacted and has high ectoparasite loads. It concludes that long-term survival requires addressing water use patterns to maintain environmental flows and prioritising a proposed redfin conservation translocation after a risk assessment.

Facts

Places

Western Cape, North West

Reference

https://www.capenature.co.za/news/2026/ongoing-efforts-to-safeguard-the-critically-endangered-tradouw-redfin-through-monitoring

Key Takeaways

  • Species: Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin (Pseudobarbus burchelli)
  • Location: Huis–Tradouw River catchment near Barrydale, Western Cape
  • Monitoring initiated: 2012
  • Finding: Tradouw River population dropped to below detectable levels
  • Stronghold: upper Huis River tributary; stable abundance and multiple size/age classes
  • Upper Huis River: free of invasive fish; only impact noted is water abstraction (agricultural and residential)
  • Lower Huis River: severely impacted; poor habitat condition at 2026 sampling
  • Co-existence: invasive banded tilapia (Tilapia sparrmanii) present in lower Huis River
  • 2026 survey: redfins just over 10% of fish caught
  • Parasites: both redfins and banded tilapia had very high ectoparasite loads; suspected driver is poor water quality/lack of flow
  • Research: parasitology study being conducted by North-West University (NWU)
  • Conservation actions: address water use patterns to maintain environmental flow releases; prioritise proposed conservation translocation into suitable habitat pending risk assessment
  • Article date: 3 Jun 2026
  • Authors: Dr Martine Jordaan & Lonwabo Mkosi (Biodiversity Intelligence)
  • CapeNature
  • Dr Martine Jordaan
  • Lonwabo Mkosi
  • Biodiversity Intelligence
  • Pseudobarbus burchelli (Tradouw redfin)
  • Huis–Tradouw River catchment
  • Huis River
  • Tradouw River
  • Barrydale
  • North-West University (NWU)
  • Tilapia sparrmanii (banded tilapia)

Dates

Closing Date

3 June 2026