On the occasion of World Water Day, the Fishing Clash community will have a chance to learn more about extinct fish species from around the globe. Ten Square Games will donate the money raised during Fishing Clash special events to a non-profit organization, Healthy Seas.

The 22^nd of March is globally celebrated as World Water Day. This occasion is especially important at present time, as the climate crisis is becoming increasingly detrimental to the marine environment and its inhabitants. More and more fish are facing extinction due to global warming, overfishing, and environmental degradation. As our most successful titles center around fishing and in Fishing Clash alone, we have over 500 fish species, this is a topic close to us.  

Two extinct fish – Smooth Handfish and Houting will be in the center of our two special World Water Day events in Fishing Clash. The Smooth Handfish special event will last for a week, starting on 22^nd and ending on 28^th of March, and the Houting special event will take place over the weekend of 26^th-28^th of March. When players catch any of them rated with 11 stars or higher, they will unblock a special tab with a score count. At the end of each event, Ten Square Games will total all players’ points for the special fish and donate the money to Healthy Seas.

Smooth Handfish (Sympterichthys Unipennis) was an endemic species living off the coast of Tasmania. It was the first marine fish declared to be extinct by the IUCN Red List. On Monday, 22^nd of March, Fishing Clash players will have a chance to encounter it in the Florida fishery. Although this is quite far from the species’ natural environment, Florida is a perfect game location for all players, regardless of their level, and it gives them all a chance to see the fish.

Houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus), in turn, is an extinct species that once inhabited estuaries and rivers flowing into the North Sea. Fishing Clash players will have the possibility to encounter it at Fjord Lyngen. This event carries a special message. The population of the species’ close cousin, the Danish Houting, has increased significantly in recent years due to a vast restoration project. This gives us hope that the Earth’s beauty and diversity can be preserved for future generations.

When players catch any of them rated with 11 stars or higher, they will unblock a special tab with a score count. At the end of each event, Ten Square Games will total all players’ points for the special fish and donate the money to Healthy Seas. We assume that, with the players’ average involvement, the donation to Healthy Seas will amount to ca. USD 50,000.

Healthy Seas initiative aims to remove waste from the seas, particularly ghost nets, and recycle them into new textile products. The organization looks after, among many others, the waters that were turned into virtual Fishing Clash fisheries; therefore, players collecting points in the game help to keep these areas clean in the real world.