News
Whale And Wing-head Sharks Close To Extinction
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) just added the whale sharks and wing head sharks to their “red list” of endangered species.
The two predatory species have been decreasing in number due to human activity, especially the fishing industry. The populations of whale sharks, the world’s largest living fish, have halved in the last 75 years.
“It s alarming to see such emblematic species slide towards extinction. The world’s oceans and forests will only continue to provide us with food and other benefits if we preserve their capacity to do so,” said Jane Smart, the director of the IUCN’s Global Species programme.
Whale sharks continue to be killed by ship propellers and fishing fleets. Some get accidentally caught in fishermen’s nets.
“While international whale shark trade is regulated through the species’ listing on the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), more needs to be done domestically to protect whale sharks at a national level,” said Simon Pierce, IUCN’s lead red list assessor.
the IUCN is expected to publish a full update of its red list.
