Animals Fishing association names minnow fish of the year 2026
The Swiss Fisheries Association (SFV) has chosen the small minnow as its fish of the year for 2026. Like many other small fish in Switzerland, the four native minnow species are currently fighting for their habitat.
14.01.2026, 10:08
SDA
According to the SFV on Thursday, there are not one but at least four different minnow species in Switzerland. The small brown fish can be easily observed in shoals in mountain lakes. Fishermen and women value the minnow, popularly known as "Butzli" or "Barmeli", as an important source of food for pike and trout.
However, this minnow species, which was long considered native to Switzerland, is not found here at all. Instead, the lake minnow has been newly discovered. Like the other minnow species, the lake minnow has adapted to a specific habitat. This shows that the diversity of species in Swiss waters is greater than previously assumed.
According to the SFV, species diversity is therefore also more endangered. Unknown species are in danger of being lost. For the SFV, the question is: "How many species have already disappeared without us noticing?" In the eyes of the association, the minnow thus draws attention to a problem that affects other small fish species in Switzerland.
Three out of four Swiss fish species are on the red list
According to the association, small fish are indispensable for biodiversity and important indicators of water quality. "The fact that many minnow populations have nevertheless disappeared in Switzerland over the last hundred years shows the extent to which aquatic habitats in our country are under pressure and losing their ecological diversity."
According to current research, more than one hundred fish species live in Switzerland. In three out of four cases, these species are now on the red list; they are extinct, threatened with extinction or critically endangered, according to the SFV.
