© Oliver Mengedoht / Dähne Verlag
The annual meeting of keepers of freshwater ornamental invertebrates was held in Lehrte near Hannover, Germany, on the 8-9 October 2022. The meeting was organized by our partner, the working group Arbeitskreis Wirbellose in Binnengewässern e.V. (AKWB). There were dozens of participants in the audience led by Steffen Kuhn. A planned series of oral presentations focused on the practical aspects of keeping the mentioned animals, as well as field trip reports and records of wild animals in their rapidly disappearing environment.
Jiří Patoka from Sulawesi Keepers presented new findings and information collected by a recent expedition to Sulawesi lakes Poso, Towuti, Matano and Mahalona. This field trip was led by Markéta Rejlková during September 2022. The current status of popular ornamental shrimps, crabs, snails and fish in the mentioned lakes aroused the interest of the audience. Attention was paid in particular to the negative effects of the introduction of invasive species, which cause a dramatic and alarming decline in the original biota. We believe that the dissemination of this information will highlight the importance of conservation efforts. The subsequent discussion was fruitful and friendly. Among others, the focused magazine caridina, represented by Oliver Mengedoht, was keen to cooperate with Sulawesi Keepers.
Last but not least, it should be noted that a raffle was held in the evening and the proceeds were donated to support the activities of Sulawesi Keepers. Exactly 1000 EUR! We are grateful and promise to use the funds meaningfully and publish and share the results for general use.
It was a nice and friendly meeting. If we are invited next time, we will be happy to come again!
Jiří Patoka
