[enviro-vlc] IUCN/SSC Red List press release

[Vern Weitzel]

(see attached files.)

See also: http://www.iucnredlist.org/

From: HORSLEY Sarah [mailto:Sarah.HORSLEY at iucn.org]
Sent: Fri 10/3/2008 11:46 PM
Subject: IUCN Red List press release

  PRESS RELEASE

  THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES


  Embargoed until 14:00 CEST Monday, October 6, 2008

  IUCN Red List reveals world’s mammals in crisis

  Barcelona, Spain, 6 October, 2008 (IUCN) –The most comprehensive
  assessment of the world’s mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis,
  with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to
  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.

  The new study to assess the world’s mammals shows at least 1,141 of
  the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with
  extinction. At least 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500. But
  the results also show conservation can bring species back from the
  brink of extinction, with five percent of currently threatened
  mammals showing signs of recovery in the wild.

  “Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result of
  our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the
  ecosystems where they live,” says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director
  General. “We must now set clear targets for the future to reverse
  this trend to ensure that our enduring legacy is not to wipe out many
  of our closest relatives.”

  The real situation could be much worse as 836 mammals are listed as
  Data Deficient. With better information more species may well prove
  to be in danger of extinction.

  “The reality is that the number of threatened mammals could be as
  high as 36 percent,” says Jan Schipper, of Conservation International
  and lead author in a forthcoming article in Science. “This indicates
  that conservation action backed by research is a clear priority for
  the future, not only to improve the data so that we can evaluate
  threats to these poorly known species, but to investigate means to
  recover threatened species and populations.”

  The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat category of
  Critically Endangered, including the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus),
  which has a population of just 84-143 adults and has continued to
  decline due to a shortage of its primary prey, the European Rabbit
  (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

  China’s Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus), is listed as
  Extinct in the Wild. However, the captive and semi-captive
  populations have increased in recent years and it is possible that
  truly wild populations could be re-established soon. It may be too
  late, however, to save the additional 29 species that have been
  flagged as Critically Endangered Possibly Extinct, including Cuba’s
  Little Earth Hutia (Mesocapromys sanfelipensis), which has not been
  seen in nearly 40 years.

  Nearly 450 mammals have been listed as Endangered, including the
  Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), which moved from Least
  Concern to Endangered after the global population declined by more
  than 60 percent in the last 10 years due to a fatal infectious facial
  cancer.

  The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), found in Southeast Asia,
  moved from Vulnerable to Endangered due to habitat loss in wetlands.
  Similarly, the Caspian Seal (Pusa caspica) moved from Vulnerable to
  Endangered. Its population has declined by 90 percent in the last 100
  years due to unsustainable hunting and habitat degradation and is
  still decreasing.

  Habitat loss and degradation affect 40 percent of the world’s
  mammals. It is most extreme in Central and South America, West, East
  and Central Africa, Madagascar, and in South and Southeast Asia. Over
  harvesting is wiping out larger mammals, especially in Southeast
  Asia, but also in parts of Africa and South America.

  The Grey-faced Sengi or Elephant-shrew (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis) is
  only known from two forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania,
  both of which are fully protected but vulnerable to fires. The
  species was first described this year and has been placed in the
  Vulnerable category.

  For more information or to set up interviews, please contact: • Sarah
  Horsley, IUCN Media Relations Officer, m +34 600 906 822, m +41 79
  528 3486, e sarah.horsley at iucn.org • Carolin Wahnbaeck, IUCN, m +34
  600 919 620, m +41 79 858 87593, e carolin.wahnbaeck at iucn.org



  THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™ But it is not all bad news.
  The assessment of the world’s mammals shows that species can recover
  with concerted conservation efforts. The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela
  nigripes) moved from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered after a
  successful reintroduction by the US Fish and Wildlife Service into
  eight western states and Mexico from 1991-2008. Similarly, the Wild
  Horse (Equus ferus) moved from Extinct in the Wild in 1996 to
  Critically Endangered this year after successful reintroductions
  started in Mongolia in the early 1990s.

  The African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) moved from Vulnerable to
  Near Threatened, although its status varies considerably across its
  range. The move reflects the recent and ongoing population increases
  in major populations in southern and eastern Africa. These increases
  are big enough to outweigh any decreases that may be taking place
  elsewhere.

  “The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to prevent future
  extinctions,” says Dr Jane Smart, Head of IUCN’s Species Programme.
  “We now know what species are threatened, what the threats are and
  where – we have no more excuses to watch from the sidelines.”

  The project to assess the world’s mammals was conducted with help
  from more than 1,800 scientists from over 130 countries. It was made
  possible by the volunteer help of IUCN Species Survival Commission’s
  specialist groups and the collaborations between top institutions and
  universities, including Conservation International, Sapienza
  Università di Roma, Arizona State University, Texas A&M University,
  University of Virginia, and the Zoological Society of London.

  More than mammals

  Overall, the IUCN Red List now includes 44,838 species, of which
  16,928 are threatened with extinction (38 percent). Of these, 3,246
  are in the highest category of threat, Critically Endangered, 4,770
  are Endangered and 8,912 are Vulnerable to extinction.

  New groups of species have appeared on the IUCN Red List for the
  first time, increasing the diversity and richness of the data. Indian
  tarantulas, highly prized by collectors and threatened by the
  international pet trade, have made their first appearance on the IUCN
  Red List. They face habitat loss due to new roads and settlements.
  The Rameshwaram Parachute Spider (Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica) has
  been listed as Critically Endangered as its natural habitat has been
  almost completely destroyed.

  For the first time, all 161 grouper species have been assessed, of
  which 20 are threatened with extinction. The Squaretail Coral Grouper
  (Plectropomus areolatus) from the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific has
  been listed as Vulnerable. The fish is seen as a luxury live food and
  is typically fished unsustainably at its spawning aggregations, a
  major threat for many grouper species.

  Amphibians are facing an extinction crisis, with 366 species added to
  the IUCN Red List this year. There are now 1,983 species (32 percent)
  either threatened or extinct. In Costa Rica, Holdridge’s Toad
  (Incilius holdridgei), an endemic species, moved from Critically
  Endangered to Extinct, as it has not been seen since 1986 despite
  intensive surveys.

  New reptiles assessed this year include the La Palma Giant Lizard
  (Gallotia auaritae). Found on the Canary Island of La Palma and
  thought to have become extinct in the last 500 years, it was
  rediscovered last year and is now listed as Critically Endangered.
  The Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is another Critically
  Endangered reptile, moved from Endangered because of population
  declines caused by illicit hunting for its meat and its skin, which
  is used in clothing.

  The Dow Jones Index of biodiversity

  The IUCN Sampled Red List Index (SRLI) is a new initiative of the
  IUCN Red List, developed in collaboration with the Zoological Society
  of London. It is set to revolutionize our understanding of the
  conservation status of the world’s species.

  The approach takes a randomized sample of species from a taxonomic
  group to calculate the trends in extinction risk within that group,
  in much the same way that an exit poll from a polling station can be
  used to calculate voting trends. This means that it is possible to
  track the fate of these species, in the same way as the Dow Jones
  Index tracks the movement of the financial markets.




  THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™ Although species coverage on
  the IUCN Red List has increased in number each year, assessments have
  in general been restricted to the better known species groups such as
  birds and mammals. As a consequence, until recently the conservation
  status of less than four percent of the world’s described
  biodiversity has been known.

  It can no longer be considered appropriate to base conservation
  decisions on such a restricted subset of species and the SRLI, which
  is more representative of global biodiversity, can be used to provide
  a broader picture.

  “We are now emerging from the dark ages of conservation knowledge,
  when we relied on data from a highly restricted subset of species,”
  says Dr Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programmes at the
  Zoological Society of London (ZSL). “In the future we will expand the
  scope of our species knowledge to include a far broader range of
  groups, thus informing and assisting policy makers in a hugely more
  objective and representative manner.”

  Designed to broaden the types of species covered in the IUCN Red
  List, the SRLI uses a sample of at least 1,500 species from selected
  groups to show trends in extinction risk. All the world’s birds,
  amphibians and mammals have now been assessed for the IUCN Red List.
  The first results from the SRLI are revealed this year and include
  results for reptile species, giving us a clearer indication of the
  status of terrestrial vertebrates, as well as other less well-known
  groups such as freshwater crabs.

  One of the newly assessed freshwater crab species, the Purple Marsh
  Crab (Afrithelphusa monodosa) from West Africa, was almost completely
  unknown to science until recently. The first living specimen was
  found in 2005 and it has been listed as Endangered because of habitat
  disturbance and deforestation from agriculture in all parts of the
  Upper Guinea forest.

  In the future the SRLI will sample other lesser-known groups such as
  beetles, molluscs, mushrooms, lichens and plant species like mosses
  and liverworts, and flowering plants. Over the coming years this new
  approach, which could be considered the Dow Jones Index for
  biodiversity, will enable us to build a clearer picture of the status
  of all the world’s species, not just the furry and feathered.

  “Over the years, the rigour of the IUCN Red List process has built it
  into the ‘global gold standard’ for monitoring the conservation
  status and trends of species and the threats they face worldwide,”
  says Dr Holly Dublin, Chair of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission
  (SSC). “The SSC is the largest and oldest IUCN Commission, its
  members are proud to contribute their knowledge and expertise to
  delivering this amazing conservation tool to the world."

  To help IUCN in its fight against the extinction crisis, donate now.
  http://cms.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/red_list/donate/
  index.cfm

  Quotes from partner organizations

  • “No other tool is as valuable for conservation as the Red List,
  which provides scientists and decision makers with an important set
  of information, freely available to the public, to improve the
  effectiveness of our conservation efforts,” says Dr. Russell
  Mittermeier, Chair of IUCN's Primate Specialist Group and president
  of Conservation International. • “Reliable data are the foundation
  for conservation planning that hopes to drive effective conservation
  action on the most endangered species and sites,” says Prof. Luigi
  Boitani, Sapienza Università di Roma. “For the first time, good data,
  contributed and validated by the best experts on Earth, show the
  patterns and extent of the pressures on the viability of mammal
  species. This trend is particularly dramatic for Southeast Asia which
  suffers from increasing human activities, deforestation being the
  major issue.” • “This assessment establishes a platform from which
  all future conservation efforts can be measured,” said Dr. Andrew
  Smith, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. “It
  captures data on the mammal fauna of the world in a unique database
  that has been structured to highlight conservation, and which is
  designed to be a living database to incorporate future data and
  trends on mammals. This effort will hopefully spur greater attention
  on the conservation of mammals and the habitats they occupy, for the
  benefit of all biodiversity.” • “These mammal data represent the best
  in collaboration among academic researchers and



  THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™ conservationists, because
  they bring to bear the best science on the status of the world’s
  mammals, placing it directly into the hands of the people who will
  effect conservation action in the field,” Dr. Thomas Lacher,
  Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University.

  • “This massive tabulation of the locations and often precarious
  situations of the Earth's mammal species spotlights our need for an
  increased understanding of the regional changes that are the ultimate
  challenge to the survival of many of these incredible creatures,”
  says Dr. Thomas C. Skalak, Vice President for Research, University of
  Virginia.

  Ends

  For information about more species on this year’s IUCN Red List
  please visit www.iucn.org/redlist and www.iucnredlist.org

  For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

  • Sarah Horsley, IUCN Media Relations Officer, m +34 600 906 822, m
  +41 79 528 3486, e sarah.horsley at iucn.org

  • Carolin Wahnbaeck, IUCN Media Relations Officer, m +34 600 919 620,
  m +41 79 858 87593, e carolin.wahnbaeck at iucn.org

  • Helen Boulden, IUCN Species Programme, m +34 600 906 742 e
  helen.boulden at iucn.org

  For high resolution photos and case studies on species please visit:
  www.iucn.org/redlist For 2 minute video B roll prepared by Arkive
  (www.arkive.org) please visit: www.iucn.org/redlist

  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies species
  according to their extinction risk. It is a searchable online
  database containing the global status and supporting information on
  45,000 species. Its primary goal is to identify and document the
  species most in need of conservation attention and provide an index
  of the state of biodiversity.

  • The IUCN Red List threat categories are the following, in
  descending order of threat:

    o Extinct or Extinct in the Wild;

    o Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable: species
  threatened with global extinction;

    o Near Threatened: species close to the threatened thresholds or that
  would be threatened without ongoing specific conservation measures;

    o Least Concern: species evaluated with a low risk of extinction;

    o Data Deficient: no assessment because of insufficient data.

  • Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct): This is not a new Red
  List category, but is a flag developed to identify those Critically
  Endangered species that are in all probability already Extinct but
  for which confirmation is required (for example, through more
  extensive surveys being carried out and failing to find any
  individuals).

  • Major analyses of the IUCN Red List are produced every four years.
  These were produced in 1996, 2000 and 2004. The 2008 Review of the
  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is available from:
  www.iucn.org/redlist

  • Funding for the assessment of the world’s mammals was provided by
  the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

  About IUCN

  IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the
  world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and
  development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing
  field projects all over the world; and bringing governments, NGOs,
  the UN, international conventions and companies together to develop
  policy, laws and best practice.

  The world's oldest and largest global environmental network, IUCN is
  a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO
  member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists and
  experts in some 160 countries.  IUCN's work is supported by over
  1,000 professional staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in
  public,

  THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™

  NGO and private sectors around the world. IUCN's headquarters are
  located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.

  www.iucn.org

  About the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Species
  Programme

  The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN’s six
  volunteer commissions with a global membership of 7,000 experts. SSC
  advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and
  scientific aspects of species conservation and is dedicated to
  securing a future for biodiversity. SSC has significant input into
  the international agreements dealing with biodiversity conservation.
  Web: www.iucn.org/ssc

  The IUCN Species Programme supports the activities of the IUCN
  Species Survival Commission and individual Specialist Groups, as well
  as implementing global species conservation initiatives. It is an
  integral part of the IUCN Secretariat and is managed from IUCN’s
  international headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. The Species
  Programme includes a number of technical units covering Species Trade
  and Use, the Red List Unit, Freshwater Biodiversity Assessments Unit,
  (all located in Cambridge, UK), and the Global Biodiversity
  Assessment Unit (located in Washington DC, USA).

  About Conservation International (CI)

  Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science,
  economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's
  richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the biodiversity
  hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas and key marine
  ecosystems. With headquarters in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan
  area, CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents. For more
  information about CI, visit www.conservation.org.


  About the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

  Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an
  international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our
  key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats.  ZSL runs
  ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research
  in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field
  conservation in over thirty countries worldwide. www.zsl.org


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