Conservation status is a topic which, in my opinion, is vastly underreported, often over sensationalized, generally misunderstood and often hard to find consistent data. I think most of us have heard about the ‘sixth mass extinction’ and the exponentially increasing number of species on ‘the brink of extinction’. Yes, its true that many scientists are warning that we humans are driving animals and plants to extinction faster than new species can evolve. And whilst this is factually correct, I’m not convinced this is the ‘Sixth Age of Mass Extinction’
I am a firm believer that each of us have a responsibility to learn and understand the momentous issues facing our planet and we must also accept that the consequences of our collective actions - whether it is not doing enough or pleading ignorance - come with a very high price. I also believe that great benefits come from sharing information and we must not be precious about it.
Generally speaking, the conservation status of a group of animals or plants (a species) tells us whether the group is still alive, and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are used to assess a species' conservation status. These include how many are alive today, what has been the overall increase or decrease over a specific time, breeding success rates and what are the currently known threats to this species.
There are several approaches to establishing conservation status but the most widely accepted and universally used conservation listing and ranking system (since 1964) is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List is used by government agencies, wildlife departments, conservation-related non-governmental organizations (NGOs), natural resource planners, educational organizations, students, and the business community.
Currently there are more almost 80,000 species on The IUCN Red List, and more than 23,000 are threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef building corals, 25% of mammals and 13% of birds. You can search for the status of a specific species (here)
RED LIST CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
The rankings are divided into nine categories, although species assessment as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU) referred to as "threatened" species.
EXTINCT (EX) - The end of a species (death of the last individual of the species)
EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW) - Defined as a species only known by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due to massive habitat loss
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR) - A species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild
ENDANGERED SPECIES (EN) - A species categorized as likely to become extinct
VULNERABLE SPECIES (VU) - A species likely to become endangered unless circumstances threatening survival and reproduction improve.
NEAR THREATENED (NT) - A species may be threatened with extinction in the near future
LEAST-CONCERN (LC) - A species evaluated but not qualified for any other category
DATA DEFICIENT (DD) - Insufficient information to categorize
NOT EVALUATED (NE) - A Species not so far evaluated
FINAL POINT TO NOTE
I passionately believe that now that there is a better understanding of the effects of over-fishing, ocean acidification and climate change, it is critical that marine species are protected to secure their survival and maintain the ecosystem services they provide. Countries need to work together to protect marine animals, their habitats and enforce international agreements.
A great example is when, 1982 it became apparent that the numbers of whales being killed were unsustainable and jeopardized whale populations, the IWC voted to introduce a moratorium (ban) on the practice of commercial whaling. Sadly, Russia, Japan, Norway and Iceland have chosen to ignore this ban with little consequence. Indeed, Japan continues to round up over 1000 dolphins a year to sell to marine parks or kill for their meat. If you have time, this was featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. The slaughter turns the cove red with blood. As a result in 2015, the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums banned the buying and selling of dolphins from the controversial hunt, after protests and pressure from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a global industry organization.
Finally, I know extinctions are not unprecedented. The struggle of our marine species is not unique. So why should you care? The answer is simply that we - humanity - are causing the exponetial increase in extinctions through anthropogenic impacts such as habitat loss and modification, the spread of invasive species and climate change. Think about it.
#thinkaboutit #voicefortheocean #endangered #vulnerable
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