During the United Nations Climate Conference (COP28), held in Dubai, the International Union for Conservation of Nature revealed the new list that determines the extent of the threat to which plant and animal species are exposed.
The Red List currently includes 157,190 species, including 44,016 species that are threatened with extinction on a global scale.
Among the amendments that have been made to it, Atlantic salmon has become “nearly threatened,” after it was classified as a species of “least concern.”
Their number declined globally by 23 percent between 2006 and 2020, due in particular to the scarcity of their prey, which is linked to climate change and the repercussions of human activities.
Highlights of the new red list
• Green turtles in the South Central and Eastern Pacific are classified as “Endangered” and “Vulnerable” respectively, and are also affected by the effects of climate warming or bycatch.
• With regard to plants, large-leaved mahogany trees, also known as mahogany wood used in the manufacture of furniture, decorative pieces and musical instruments, have been classified as “endangered” after being among the “at risk” species.
• The number of these trees in Central and Latin America has declined by at least 60 percent over the past 180 years, according to what the International Union for Conservation of Nature has confirmed, due to unsustainable farming methods, urban expansion, and the growth of agricultural lands that eat away at tropical forests.
• The status of two species of antelope in the updated list has improved, and the oryx is now classified as “threatened with extinction” as a result of efforts made to preserve it through its resettlement in Chad, after its extinction in the wild at the end of the 1990s, according to what the International Union for Conservation of Nature confirmed, But he added that their survival “depends on continued protection from poaching.”
• The saiga antelope, found mainly in Kazakhstan, is no longer considered “critically endangered” but is now considered “nearly threatened,” with their numbers in the Central Asian country increasing by 1,100 percent between 2015 and 2022.
• The Red List of Threatened Species complements a global study conducted for the first time on the status of freshwater fish, which shows that 25 percent of the species assessed are today at risk of extinction.
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