Freshwater Whitefish [coregonins] (genus Coregonus, subfamily Coregoninae, family Salmonidae), usually referred to as Reinanken in Austria, Renken in Bavaria and whitefish in Lake Constance and Switzerland, have a significant economic value and are fished intensively. However, intensive exploitation threatens the (genetic) integrity of wild populations and species, some of which are even considered extinct due to the emergence of hybrid shoals and changes to their habitat (water quality and topography/relocation of spawning grounds). At the same time, coregons are one of the most taxonomically challenging groups of freshwater fish in Europe. As long as species cannot be clearly differentiated, their protection is impossible. Failure to recognise or overlook different species could therefore be the main cause of their extinction.

Some coregonin species are bred outside their natural range and reintroduced as juveniles, which leads to the formation of hybrid swarms. According to the Austrian Red List of Fish (Pisces) (2007), there are seven native species in Austria, four of which are considered endangered and one of which is globally extinct. There are also five populations (e.g. from Lake Traunsee) that are categorised as potentially endangered, one of which is threatened with extinction, and for four populations the data situation is inadequate, meaning that it was not possible to assess them.

Nevertheless, there is hope. In a scientific study on Austrian coregonins (2011), native species were detected in some lakes. However, in order to confirm the genetic integrity of these populations, they must be compared with historical data from the period before intensive fish introductions (which began around the 1950s). If remnants of native species still exist in Austria, it is urgently necessary to define conservation measures to protect them. For example, stocking measures should be carried out exclusively with native species.

The team of the Fish Collection of the Natural History Museum Vienna, the Research Institute for Limnology, Mondsee of the University of Innsbruck (Mondsee Institute) and the Institute for Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Management of the Federal Agency for Water Management Scharfling has expertise in cryptic biodiversity surveys, taxonomic work based on morphological and molecular genetic methods as well as in the field of aquatic ecology. It is composed of experts who have contributed to the Red List of Austrian fishes as well as the most respected Austrian experts on coregonins. Most of the material, both historical and current, is already available in the collections of the three institutions, which means that work on the project can begin!