Monday July 21, 2025
This is Reno —
A three-day international workshop held at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe has resulted in new global initiatives to protect migratory freshwater fish and their habitats.
The Migratory Fish and Global Swimways Workshop, held July 15-17 and hosted by UNR’s Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability, brought together scientists, policy leaders and conservationists from five continents. The event produced outcomes that will shape global conservation efforts ahead of the 2026 United Nations Convention on Migratory Species summit in Brazil.
Among the initiatives, experts identified species for possible listing under the Convention on Migratory Species and designated migration corridors, including the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake.
“These are not symbolic conversations—we’re generating the data, strategies and commitments that will shape global policy,” said Zeb Hogan, workshop organizer and aquatic ecologist at the University.
The event also spotlighted the Truckee River system’s role in supporting migratory species like the Lahontan cutthroat trout and cui-ui. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s restoration efforts were highlighted as a leading example of Indigenous-led conservation.
Participants included representatives from the UN Convention on Migratory Species Secretariat, World Wildlife Fund, Shedd Aquarium and other international institutions, alongside university faculty and students.
“The University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe is acting as a global hub for science-informed policy and conservation action,” said Melanie Virtue, head of the Aquatic Species Team at the UN Convention on Migratory Species Secretariat.
Attendees also visited freshwater habitats and the “Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants” exhibit, further emphasizing the region’s conservation legacy.