The Oceanogràfic Foundation and Environment reintroduce loinas to a section of the Magro River affected by the DANA storm

This freshwater fish species is listed as critically endangered and is one of the most threatened in the Iberian Peninsula.

Technicians from the Oceanogràfic Foundation and the El Palmar Freshwater Species Conservation Center reintroduced a total of 33 loinas – also known as Júcar nases – (Parachondrostoma arrigonis), last week into a section of the Magro River, in the municipality of Yátova, which was severely damaged by the DANA storm.

Before the release, professionals marked each fish with a small colored mark or a microchip, depending on its size, to ensure control and subsequent monitoring. Of the reintroduced fish, 22 come from the El Palmar fish farm, and the remaining eleven were raised in the Lago Vivo (Living Lake) of the Oceanogràfic of Valencia (CACSA – GVA), a natural space designed to reinforce the reproduction and adaptation of threatened species. This action is part of the conservation program for native aquatic species developed together with the Department of Environment, Infrastructure and Territory of the Generalitat Valenciana.

A critically endangered endemic species

The loina is a freshwater fish native to the Júcar basin and one of the most threatened species in the Iberian Peninsula. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and represents a clear example of the decline suffered by native freshwater species in our territory.

The expansion of invasive species, the alteration of flow regimes, and fishing pressure have reduced their distribution areas and caused a decline in their natural populations.

“This reintroduction aims to reinforce the wild populations of loina in an ecologically favorable section of the Magro River, contributing to their in-situ conservation,” says Blanca Pérez, technician of the Oceanogràfic Foundation.

The Oceanogràfic’s Living Lake is consolidated as a key space for breeding threatened species

The Oceanogràfic’s Living Lake has become a reference space for the breeding and acclimatization of freshwater species. In addition to reinforcing the educational and conservation work of the center, it allows the reintroduction of specimens with a greater probability of success in natural habitats.

The Oceanogràfic Foundation continues to support collaboration between scientific entities and public administrations as an essential tool to preserve biodiversity and combat the loss of endemic species, unique in the world.