What is in the news?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently released a Red List reporting the official extinction of 902 species. This was released at the World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France.
Key Findings in the recent Red List
The recent Red List mentioned that some 902 species are officially extinct.
The Red List also shows that 30 percent of the species (38,543) that it assessed face the threat of extinction.
Some 80 species are extinct in the wild, 8,404 are critically endangered, 14,647 are endangered, 15,492 are vulnerable and 8,127 are near-threatened.
About Tuna Species
The Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) moved from endangered to least concern. This is because the Atlantic bluefin tuna had increased by at least 22 percent and had declined by more than half in the Gulf of Mexico over the last four decades.
The Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) moved from critically endangered to endangered.
The albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and yellowfin tunas (Thunnus albacares) both moved from near threatened to least concern. The yellowfin tuna was overfished in the Indian Ocean.
The Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) moved from vulnerable to near threatened due to the availability of newer stock assessment data and models.
About shark and ray species
37 percent of the world’s shark and ray species were threatened with extinction; The threats include overfishing, loss, and degradation of habitat and climate change.
About Komodo dragon
The world’s largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), has been moved from vulnerable to endangered. The species is endemic to Indonesia and present only in the World Heritage site, Komodo National Park and neighbouring Flores.
Rising global temperature and subsequent sea levels are expected to reduce the Komodo dragon’s suitable habitat by at least 30 percent in the next 45 years.
Due to ongoing human activities, Komodo dragons living outside protected areas in Flores are threatened by significant habitat loss.
Source: This post is based on the article “Over 900 species of animals have become extinct according to latest IUCN Red List” published in DownToEarth on 5 September 2021.
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