American Cichlid Association Conservation Programs
Some of the goals of the American Cichlid Association established in the Mission Statement are to encourage the conservation of cichlids in their natural habitat, in the hobby, and to further the conservation of the natural habitat of cichlids. In the American Cichlid Association we understand that with the increased knowledge that we as persons develop about a specific topic, in this case cichlids, comes the appreciation for their uniqueness, beauty, place in the world, in the ecosystems, and above all their important part of the natural world we are also belong to. Love for them follows.
The degrading world caused by human activities is affecting cichlid populations around the world. We in the ACA care about cichlids, because as specialists we understand them and care more for them than the majority, and hence we know it is our responsibility to stand up and do as much as we can to promote their conservation and well being, paying a little back for the many good things we get from them.
With this view we have developed a course of action in two parts: One of them is the recognition and promulgation of a list of cichlid species with special conservation needs, the Conservation Priority List produced by the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation program, developed by Claudia Dickinson. This list is updated by specialists who are knowledgeable about the species and are up to date in their conservation status, the list has the intention to encourage people in their preservation. You can learn more about the C.A.R.E.S program by following the link:
C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program.
Our second course of action is the financial support of conservation research and programs, which we carry out through the Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Fund. You can learn more about this program following the link:
Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Fund.
With these solid steps, the American Cichlid Association takes decisive action towards cichlid and cichlid habitat conservation.
