Solomon Islands was represented at the 12th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC12) jointly hosted with the Asian Society of Ichthyologists (ASI) Annual Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan.
The event was held last week from June 9-13, 2025.
The joint conference, which combines two prestigious events, was hosted at the National Taiwan University and the Taipei Zoo.
Fish scientists from around the world are sharing their research on the systematics and ecology of Asian and Indo-Pacific fishes, including topics such as evolution, biogeography, taxonomy, ecology, biology, sustainable fisheries, and conservation.
The conference also provided an excellent opportunity for fish scientists to share their latest research results, develop collaborations, and promote research.
David Boseto is a researcher known for his work on freshwater fishes in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the Pacific region.
His research often involves taxonomy, biodiversity, and conservation of these species is currently attending the conference and is presenting on a special session on “diadromous fishes.”
Boseto’s presentation is based on a recent work that his team at Ecological Solutions, Solomon Islands, is currently collaborating with Southern Waters of South Africa and DDA Consulting International on the Island of Guadalcanal.
The presentation is co-authored by Mr. Robson Hevalao and Mr. Isaac Rounds.
The presentation highlighted the importance of diadromous fish species of two large rivers on Guadalcanal and the importance of documenting these species and understanding their life history along the different rivers.
This study is important for conservation, but at the same time, it highlights the importance of understanding the fish movement in free-flowing rivers and rivers with barriers to fish movement.
It is important to understand the fish life cycle and their movement to design proper fish passages within any constructed barriers in the rivers to maintain the fish biodiversity and populations.
“I am pleased to attend the conference because I learnt a lot and made new contacts with fish scientists from Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong , Vietnam, and Australia who presented their research on fish movement, life cycle, and biodiversity on rivers that have dam constructions on,” reflected Mr. Boseto
He also acknowledged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the TA-10135 SOL: Capacity development for sustainable rivers management for funding the research, and his research collaborators from Société Française d’Ichtyologie for funding his trip to attend the IPFC 12 conference.
