Wondering what went right this week in the conservation world? We’ve got you covered with our Conservation Optimism Round-Up! We are collating stories of optimism from around the globe so that you never miss your dose of weekly motivation.

1. World’s largest freshwater fish found in Mekong, scientists say

” A 300kg (661lb) stingray caught in the Mekong river in Cambodia is the biggest freshwater fish ever documented, scientists say. It unseated the previous record-holder, a 646lb (293kg) Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005. “

2. Work begins to turn 99,000 hectares in England into ‘nature recovery’ projects

” The five landscape-scale projects in the West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, the Peak District, Norfolk and Somerset aim to help tackle wildlife loss and the climate crisis, and improve public access to nature. “

3. Indigenous rangers and scientists working to conserve endangered white-throated grasswren in Arnhem Land

” Two weeks ago, Warddeken Indigenous ranger Terrah Guymala was extremely excited to hear the call of the bird he had been searching months for. “The white-throated grasswren is the western name, but in Bininj we call it Yinlinkirrkkirr, and this Yinlinkirrkkirr, it’s a really important little bird that lives in the Stone Country,” he said. ”

4. Mountain Gorillas: A Conservation Success Story

” Today, all three countries have separate but adjoining national parks. This transboundary situation adds an extra dimension to the already complicated task of conserving mountain gorillas. IGCP has met this additional challenge head-on, however, by adopting a collaborative regional approach to conservation efforts, including cross-border cooperation between rangers to coordinate gorilla population monitoring, anti-poaching activities and even joint patrols.”

5. Five highly protected marine areas planned for English waters

“The new generation of marine nature reserves, which are governed by tougher regulations to allow decimated sea life to recover, are proposed for the coast of Lindisfarne in Northumberland and at Allonby Bay, Cumbria, and at three offshore sites, two in the North Sea and one at Dolphin Head in the Channel.”

6. EU plan to halve use of pesticides in ‘milestone’ legislation to restore ecosystems

” For the first time in 30 years, legislation has been put forward to address catastrophic wildlife loss in the EU. Legally binding targets for all member states to restore wildlife on land, rivers and the sea were announced today, alongside a crackdown on chemical pesticides. “

7. Finland’s 41st national park opens in Eastern Lapland

” Finland’s 41st national park formally opened in Salla, Eastern Lapland, on Saturday. The transformation of the nature reserve into a national park is projected to double the number of visitors to the wilderness area near the eastern border.”

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