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The tuna is in serious danger
The IUCN Red List shows that tunas and sharks are particularly in danger. Additionally other marine plants and animals also face danger in changes to their habitats, including 14 % of sea grasses, 32 % of freshwater crayfish and 33 % of reef-building corals.
Image courtesy of Marco Carè/Marine Photobank
Inside a bluefin tuna cage, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy.
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The latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesâ„¢ illustrates the efforts undertaken by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and its partners to expand the number and diversity of species assessed, improving the quality of information in order to obtain a better picture of the state of biodiversity.
“
Less than a quarter of the world’s sharks, rays and chimaeras are safe – there is a real chance that our grandchildren will know many sharks only from photographs. This study shows that conservation is a lifeboat for biodiversity and we need more of it
”—Dr Nicholas Dulvy Canada Research Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Simon Fraser University and co-chair of IUCN's Shark Specialist Group
The results of the assessments of all species of scombrids (tunas, bonitos, mackerels and Spanish mackerels) and billfishes (swordfish and marlins) were published recently in the magazine Science. The detailed results now on the IUCN Red List show that the situation is particularly serious for tunas.
Threatened
Five of the eight species of tuna are in the threatened or Near Threatened categories. These include: Southern Bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii), Critically Endangered; Atlantic Bluefin (T. thynnus), Endangered; Bigeye (T. obesus), Vulnerable; Yellowfin (T. albacares), Near Threatened; and Albacore (T. alalunga), Near Threatened. This information will be invaluable in helping governments make decisions which will safeguard the future of these species, many of which are of extremely high economic value.
Discoveries
With now more than 61,900 species reviewed, another big step forward has been made toward developing the IUCN Red List into a true ‘Barometer of Life’. The IUCN Red List also keeps apace with scientific discoveries—for example, until recently only one species of Manta Ray was known, but new comparisons of field observations now reveal that there are actually two species of ‘manta’: the Reef Manta Ray (Manta alfredi) and the Giant Manta Ray (Manta birostris), both of which are now classified as Vulnerable.
Chinese medicine
The Giant Manta Ray is the largest living ray, which can grow to more than seven meters across. Manta Ray products have a high value in international trade markets and targeted fisheries hunt them for their valuable gill rakers used in traditional Chinese medicine. Monitoring and regulation of the exploitation and trade of both manta ray species is urgently needed, as well as protection of key habitats.
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