57th Annual Conference
Connected Waters
Advancing Freshwater Fish Conservation, Recovery and Management
Alive Lincoln, 6-7 October 2026
This year’s IFM Annual Conference will be hosted by the Anglian Branch and will be held in the historic city of Lincoln.
The conference will feature speakers from the UK, Ireland and beyond for two days of presentations and networking, including the Annual Dinner & Awards.
Britain’s freshwater fish are both a vital part of our natural heritage and one of the clearest measures of the health of our rivers, lakes and wetlands. From upland streams and chalk rivers to lowland watercourses and still waters, native populations track the condition — and the connectivity — of the waters they depend on. Those waters are under pressure: degraded habitat, barriers to migration, declining water quality, invasive species and a changing climate. But the tools to respond are improving fast, and conservation science, restoration practice and policy are all moving in the right direction.
The 57th IFM Annual Conference will place freshwater fish firmly at the centre of discussion. Over two days we will look at the changing status of native species and the threats now emerging, at what river and wetland restoration is delivering on the ground, and at the work of reconnecting rivers and removing the barriers that fragment them. We will also examine the monitoring tools and data sources reshaping the evidence base, and the day-to-day realities of practical fisheries management.
Conference sessions will cover:
- River and Wetland Restoration
- Status, Recovery and Emerging Threats to Freshwater Fish
- Reconnecting Rivers
- Barriers to Fish Movement
- Monitoring and Evidence: New Tools and Data Sources
- Practical Fisheries Management: Technology, Welfare and Community
The John Gregory Lecture
We are delighted to welcome Simon Johnson to the conference to present this year’s John Gregory Lecture.
Simon will be well known to many of you as he is the Executive Director of the Freshwater Biological Association. He is also one of the founders of the Wensum Riverkin Group which is working to restore the River Wensum, a director of the community interest company, the Norfolk Ponds Partnership and Chair (Elect) of the European Federation of Freshwater Sciences. He is also a lifelong angler.
Simon’s talk is simply titled ‘Solutions’.
Early Careers Group Workshop
Monday 5th October 13:00 – 17:00
Following the success of the inaugural event last year we will be holding a second Early Careers Group Workshop this year. This will take place at the conference venue on the Monday afternoon before the conference.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
To register interest in attending please email Phoebe Worley on Phoebe.worley@ifm.org.uk