Celebrating Tamar Valley migratory fish with latest Nature Connects podcast
The latest episode of Nature Connects podcast has just been released from Tamar Valley National Landscape, celebrating the Atlantic Salmon and Allis Shad, two remarkable migratory fish species found in the River Tamar.
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Dr. William Darwall, Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme Manager and former researcher with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), shares insights from his work on the red listing of the Atlantic Salmon and the broader implications for freshwater biodiversity. These fish face numerous challenges, including habitat fragmentation and climate change.
Angela Gall, Marine Senior Officer at Natural England and author of the children’s book Allis the Shad Who Wouldn’t Give Up, also chats with podcast host Ginnette Sutherland, highlighting this lesser known but equally fascinating species that migrates from the sea to spawn in freshwater.
Listeners will hear about efforts being made to protect the Allis Shad, include monitoring populations, improving fish passage and addressing threats such as pollution and habitat loss.
Ginnette explains more, “These species are not only vital to the river’s ecosystem, but they also represent the resilience and interconnectedness of Nature. We recorded this podcast in advance of World Fish Migratory Day, a biannual event which raises awareness and engagement around fish migration annually to keep the spotlight on these critical ecological journeys. We hope that this episode helps to achieve these aims, as well as highlighting two of Tamar Valley National Landscape’s 17 Special Species, part of our Nature Recovery Plan .”
Allis the Shad Who Wouldn’t Give Up can be purchased from local booksellers and conservation groups.
Nature Connects was launched in January this year, to bring the benefits of Nature to a wider audience, by celebrating the stories and sounds from Tamar Valley National Landscape, through a series of immersive walk and talk podcasts. Listeners can find all episodes of Nature Connects on podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music, as well as YouTube. New podcasts will be released at the end of each month throughout 2025. These podcasts have been made possible thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme, a project of Tamar Valley National Landscape. Thank you to Ross Sinclair and Jim Baldwin from Fotonow for their technical support.
