Rescue of Rare Handfish: Australian Fish Sent for Temporary Care (VIDEO) 0 20

Scientists have been allowed to catch some red fish known as “handfish” or “paddlefish” in order to save this endangered species from the effects of warming. This was reported by The Guardian.

The number of these fish, which use their fins as “hands” to move along the sea floor, has decreased to one hundred individuals. All of them inhabit the waters off the coast of Tasmania, where water temperatures are rising four times faster than the global average. If no action is taken, experts predict that the population of handfish could decline by 99% due to the destruction of their natural habitat.

Initially, scientists plan to catch 25 fish and place them at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Tasmania. Institute staff will closely monitor the fish for signs of stress and will catch the remaining ones if necessary. Once the threat of heatwaves has passed, the handfish will be returned to their natural environment.

The Australian government has allocated $240,000 for the restoration of the handfish habitat and their care in captivity.

The year 2023 is expected to be the warmest on record: temperature records are being set one after another. UN meteorologists link the abnormal heat to anthropogenic climate change and the onset of El Niño—a phenomenon that leads to increased temperatures in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean.
High temperatures cause the death of people, animals, and plants, as well as contribute to the spread of droughts and wildfires.