© Martin Harvey / WWF 5. Prevent and control invasions by non-native species; and 6. Protect free-flowing rivers and remove obsolete dams. There are indications that some are finally starting to take the fate of freshwater fishes into account. Cambodia's widely praised decision to impose a 10-year moratorium on hydropower dams on the mainstem of the Mekong river seems to have been partly based on the devastating impact that the proposed Sambor and Stung Treng dams would have had on the Global freshwater biodiversity Global freshwater biodiversity Only by implementing this plan, which is echoed in the Convention on Biological Diversity 5th Global Biodiversity Outlook, can we hope to restore the world's freshwater ecosystems and reverse decades of decline in freshwater fish populations. By committing to this plan, countries can enhance the health of their rivers, lakes and wetlands - and secure the future of their fish and fisheries. Figure 2 - Emergency Recovery Plan for freshwater biodiversity. Implementing the six pillars detailed in the text will bend the curve of biodiversity loss. 1970 2021 river's hugely productive fisheries - fisheries that feed millions of people in Cambodia and Vietnam. But factoring freshwater fishes into development decisions is still very much the exception: it needs to be the rule. We'll look at the Emergency Recovery Plan in more detail in the concluding section on solutions, but first let's find out more about the amazing diversity of the world's forgotten fishes... The World's Forgotten Fishes page 9