The decline of freshwater fish biodiversity is proceeding at an alarming and persistent rate. Given that most fish must undertake some form of migration in order to complete their life-cycle, of particular concern is the proliferation of hydropower schemes that block migration routes, as well as a variety of other barriers such as weirs and culverts. Several locations in the southern hemisphere are among the major global hotspots of hydropower development. Mitigation measures for fish passage have traditionally relied on designs developed for strong swimming, generally salmonid species of the northern hemisphere. These designs are ineffective for smaller, relatively weak swimming 'non-sport' fish, such as those found in temperate regions of the southern hemisphere, but there is no detailed understanding of the mechanisms involved. This paper introduces an innovative EU-funded project, KEEPFISH, that aims to address gaps in the knowledge of passage requirements for non-sport fish of the temperate south. The project, beginning in 2016, represents the first systematic attempt to bring together world-leading practitioners in an effort to exchange knowledge and construct a shared vision for fish passage science and policy. This will be achieved through systematic review, expert consultation, ecological modelling, postgraduate training programmes, networking and stakeholder engagement using a novel combination of approaches.