Photo:© Gary Nafis

Status: Vulnerable

Historically the range of the Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) included much of the floor of the Central Valley (Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys) of California, USA. This Vulnerable species apparently is now extirpated from most of the range in the San Joaquin Valley due to loss and fragmentation of wetland habitats. Habitat loss and degradation remain the greatest threat to the survival of this snake. In some areas, predation by and competition with introduced species, parasitism, and road kills may also be serious threats.

Status: Vulnerable

The Panamint Alligator Lizard (Elgaria panamintina) is known only from California in the United States. It is known several locations in desert mountains of Inyo and Mono counties, California. The known area of occupancy is very small (probably less than 5 km²). Most known locations are in canyon riparian zones below permanent springs. All but a few of the known populations occur on private lands and are currently at risk from mining, feral and domestic livestock grazing, and increasing off-road vehicle activity.

Photo: © Patrick Briggs

Status: Endangered

This lizard is endemic to California in the United States. The historical range encompassed the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent foothills of southern California, from Stanislaus County to extreme northern Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, at elevations below 800 m (2,600 feet). The currently known occupied range includes scattered parcels of undeveloped land on the floor of the San Joaquin Valley and in the foothills of the Coast Range. There are not many more than a few dozen distinct populations. The total population size is unknown but probably includes more than 1,000 adults. The species had been eliminated from 94% of the original range since the mid-1800s. Its distribution and abundance have been greatly reduced, and populations are now severely fragmented, due primarily to loss of habitat to urbanization, water development projects, and agricultural development; intensive mineral development, off-road vehicle activity, pesticide application (for ground squirrels), overgrazing, and flooding also have been detrimental. These lizards use mammal burrows for shelter, so activities that compact soil or crush burrows should be avoided. Habitat disturbance, destruction, and fragmentation continue as the greatest threats to Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard populations.

Status: Endangered

The great hammerhead shark is found in tropical waters throughout the world, including in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, parts of the Mediterranean and the coastlines of India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is a solitary and large shark, with adults commonly reaching 4 meters or 13 feet long, making it highly prized for its fins which are being sold primarily in Asian markets. The fin market and accidental catch by other types of fisheries is impacting this shark species, which in previous years was listed as Data Deficient because information was not available throughout its range. Recent assessments indicate a population decline of more than 50% however, and so the great hammerhead moves into the Endangered category on the 2007 IUCN Red List. IUCN will be working with its members to collect more information on this species, communicate with fisheries on methods to conserve it and work to ban shark finning, thus preventing the harvesting of hammerhead sharks for their fins alone.

Photo© US Fish and Wildlife Service

Status: Endangered

The total Manatee population size is currently estimated to number less than 10,000 (based on combined estimates for the Florida and Antillean subspecies). Both subspecies (T. m. latirostris and T. m. manatus) are listed as Endangered based on their small population sizes (fewer than 2,500 for each subspecies) and ongoing declines. Florida manatees (T. m. latirostris) are found only in the United States, although a few vagrants have been known to reach the Bahamas. Their year-round distribution is restricted to peninsular Florida because they need warm water to survive the winter. During the non-winter months (March to November), some manatees disperse to adjoining states. The Antillean Manatee (T. m. manatus) inhabits riverine and coastal systems in the tropical and subtropical Western Atlantic Coastal Zone from the Bahamas to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

Threats to the manatee encompass catastrophic natural events and anthropogenic factors that could cause declines in reproductive and survival rates or declines in the carrying capacity of the environment. About half of adult mortality range-wide is attributable to human-related causes, primarily watercraft collisions. The future of the Florida manatee is also jeopardized by the predicted loss and deterioration of warm-water habitat, including retirement or deregulation of aging power plants and reduction in natural spring flows. Other direct threats include entanglement (in fishing gear or debris), entrapment in water-control structures and pipes, exposure to contaminants, incidental ingestion of debris, and crushing (in flood-control structures, in canal locks, or between large ships and docks).

Naturally occurring catastrophic threats to manatees include prolonged periods of very cold temperatures, hurricanes, harmful algal blooms (i.e., “red tide”), and the potential for disease.

Photo: © E. Pardo/WCS

Status: Vulnerable

The dwarf brocket is a species of deer that inhabits forests and grasslands in southern Peru and northern Bolivia, in the Andes region. It is a small, shy deer that forages for food during the day and night, and escapes predators such as the puma by diving into thick vegetation. The habitat of the dwarf brocket is declining from reasons such as deforestation, increased agriculture such as coca plantations, cattle ranching, mining, road construction and expanding communities. In previous years, not enough information existed on this deer species, so it was listed as Data Deficient, but now with new data indicating the scale of habitat decline, it has been re-classified as Vulnerable. More field surveys and ecological studies need to be conducted on this species in the future so that a conservation plan might be developed.

Photo: © Javier Pedreira

Status:

The Southern Brazilian wreckfish Polyprion americanus is a deep-sea, large-sized, grouper that inhabits the sub tropical oceans from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Argentine with the only known commercially important fishing areas off Southern Brazil. It is vulnerable to commercial fishing because of its longevity (it lives for over 80 years) and because it reproduces in groups at specific sites and seasons, which are targeted for fishing. During the 1990s, the wreckfish population steadily dropped, decreasing more than 90% under heavy fishing and no regulation. By 2002, the Brazilian wreckfish had been listed by the IUCN Red List as critically endangered. This listing lead to the closure of the national fishery for 10 years, giving the species much needed legal protection. In the last two years, the wreckfish has evidently not been fished. Maintenance of the moratorium is essential to guarantee protection of the species.

Photo © Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr.

Status: Vulnerable

Polycyathus isabela is one of the ten coral species included in the 2007 Red List update. This is the first time corals have ever been assessed and included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Polycyathus isabela is endemic to the Eastern Tropical Pacific region and occurs around the Galapagos Archipelago. It grows in recesses or caves at depths of 10 to 23m and is known only from three sites on one island. It has been classified as Vulnerable according to Red List criteria due to the paucity of data on population trends of this species. However, its limited distribution and the fact that recent searches have failed to find the species at one of the three previously known sites mean that it may be reclassified as Endangered in the future. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)

This species is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Prior to 1984, this coral was recorded from Caleta Tagus (Isabela), and Gardner Island and Devil's Crown (Floreana). It was extremely abundant at Tagus Cove (approx. 13% mean cover of reef surface at 15 m depth). All colonies known prior to the 1982-1983 El Niño event have apparently since disappeared, although a few colonies of the species have been detected at two sites: Cousins and Gordons Rocks in the past decade; these colonies apparently are now also lost. Estimated decline since 1982 (generation length is >10 years): >90% (Edgar and Garske 2005). The threat of El Niño has not ceased, hence if it still exists, there is likely to be continuing decline in the range of this species. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Critically Endangered

Floreana coral, is an extremely rare species which is endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago. It occurs in cryptic habitats; on ceilings of caves, ledges and rocks overhangs. The species is thought to have been widespread prior to 1983 but colonies disappeared from all known sites after the 1982-1983 El Nino. It is thought that the increased sea temperatures associated with El Nino where responsible for this dramatic reduction in distribution. This suggests that future warming as a result of climate change could also be a major threat. Despite extensive searches the species has only been found at one site since 2001. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Vulnerable

Galápagos kelp is a type of seaweed that grows only in the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador in South America. It grows in groups at an average depth of 27 to 55m (88 to 180 feet) and is a primary food source for species such as sea urchins. It was previously found throughout the Galápagos Islands archipelago but today its population is decreasing so that it is only being located near a few islands. This decline is thought to be a result of both climate change and El Niño events (periodic ocean-atmospheric climate warming). Hunting of predators that eat sea urchins is also affecting the seaweed, since sea urchin populations are growing rapidly and consuming large quantities of kelp.

Status: Endangered

This long-lived species has been uplisted to Endangered following a very recent and extremely rapid population decline in India (presumably resulting from poisoning by the veterinary drug Diclofenac) combined with severe long term declines in Europe (>50% over the last three generations) and West Africa, plus ongoing declines through much of the rest of its African range, owing to a variety of threats. Similar declines are reported from the Middle East e.g. 50-75% in Israel, although in Oman the population is apparently stable and 1,000 birds are resident in a stable population on the island of Socotra. Declines in parts of Africa are likely to have been driven by loss of wild ungulate populations and overgrazing in some areas by livestock. Disturbance, lead poisoning (from gun-shot) and collision with powerlines are currently impacting upon European populations. In India, it appears that the veterinary drug Diclofenac is driving the recent rapid declines. It seems plausible that this species previously had less exposure to the toxin owing to competitive exclusive from carcasses by Gyps spp. vultures. In Morocco at least, it is taken for use in traditional medicine.

Status: Vulnerable

Aquila clanga occupies a fragmented range, breeding in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, mainland China and Mongolia. Passage or wintering birds occur in small numbers over a vast area, including central and eastern Europe, north and east Africa, the Middle East, the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and south and South-East Asia. Wintering birds have also been reported in Hong Kong (China). The population is probably less than 10,000 mature individuals with Russia holding 2,800-3,000 pairs. The European population is probably no more than 900 pairs (with c.170 pairs in Belarus). Numbers appear to have declined in the western half of its range and in some parts of its Asian range. There is some evidence of hybridisation between this species and Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina. It is unclear whether this represents a new phenomenon or a conservation concern, but A. pomarina is far more numerous than A. clanga in the zone of overlap, and the range of A. pomarina appears to be spreading east, further into the range of A. clanga. Other key threats are disturbance, habitat destruction and hunting. Suitable habitat mosaics have been lost as a result of afforestation and wetland drainage. In Thailand, habitat has been lost to urbanisation and changes in agriculture and, in eastern Europe, to agricultural intensification and abandonment of traditional floodplain management. Birds are intolerant of permanent human presence in their territories. Forestry operations are a major cause of disturbance. Shooting is a threat in Belarus, Poland, Russia, the Mediterranean and South-East Asia, together with deliberate and accidental poisoning across much of its range. Introduced American mink have colonised wetlands in Belarus recently, and may compete with A. clanga for food.

Status: Endangered

This species has a moderate population size which appears to have declined rapidly over a short time period. The reasons for this decline are largely unknown. Small populations of other Arctic breeding geese have shown dramatic population fluctuations and this may prove to be the case for this species. The Red-breasted Goose breeds on the Taimyr (70% of the population), Gydan and Yamal peninsulas, Russia, and in winter it migrates to areas in Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Romania, and the Ukraine. Following land privatisation in winter feeding areas, reductions in the land area under winter wheat cultivation and the intensification of agriculture are potential threats, and some key feeding-sites have been lost in Bulgaria. Pressure exists to allow shooting and scaring of geese in Bulgaria and Romania, and disturbance is caused by hunting. Hunting by tourists in Ukraine poses an increasing threat and birds are shot at staging grounds in Russia. Climate change and associated habitat shifts are expected to impact negatively on this species and others dependent on tundra habitat for breeding. Other threats include industrial developments at breeding sites and the use of rodenticides in the wintering grounds.

Status: Near Threatened

This African vulture was once formally abundant but has experienced rapid declines in much of its range, particularly in West Africa. It lives in open areas of Acacia woodland, grassland and montane regions. It is an extremely gregarious bird congregating at carrion, soaring in large flocks and breeding in colonies on cliff faces. Unlike some species of Asian vulture which have a keen sense of smell it locates its food entirely by sight. Ruppell’s Griffon is threatened by habitat loss through agricultural conversion, incidental poisoning, persection and the loss of wild ungulates. The West African population has been heavily exploited for trade. Conservation measure which could help improve the status of this species include: establishing legal protection for this species, particularly in West Africa, protect breeding colonies and maintain wild ungulate herds within protected areas. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Critically Endangered

The Western lowland gorilla occurs in the western part of central Africa in lowland tropical forests, feeding on leaves, shoots and fruit. It is social, living in groups of 10 to 20 individuals, usually composed of an adult male, several adult females and their young. In the wild, it lives to be 30 or 40 years old, with males weighing from 300 to 600 lbs (136 to 226 kg) and standing up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Females weigh 155 to 310 lbs (70 to 140 kg). In the last 20 to 25 years, spread of the deadly Ebola virus and commercial hunting have caused populations to decline by more than 60%. As a result, the western lowland gorilla has been re-classified on the 2007 IUCN red list from Endangered to Critically Endangered. One conservation measure which is being discussed to improve the situation is the possible vaccination of key gorilla populations against the Ebola virus. Some initial studies are underway in this capacity, but remain to be fully funded. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Near Threatened

Despite severe declines in parts of its range the White-backed vulture is still the most widespread and common vulture in Africa. Its global population is estimated at 270,000 individuals but like other African vulture species it has declined by 90% in West Africa. White-backed vultures are primary lowland species of open woodland savanna and require tall trees for nesting. They are a sociable species congregating at carcasses and at roost sites. They face similar threats to other African vultures, being susceptible to habitat conversion, loss of wild ungulates leading to a reduction in carrion, hunting for trade, persecution and poisoning. As a result of population declines caused by these threats the White backed vulture has been uplisted from Least Concern to Near Threatened on the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Status: Endangered

Speke’s Gazelle is endemic to the Horn of Africa. It was formerly widespread across the open barren grasslands of Somalia but its numbers have been reduced greatly by hunting, drought and overgrazing of its habitat by domestic livestock. Scattered groups of Speke's Gazelle were still occasionally encountered in eastern Ethiopia in the mid-1980s, but extreme hunting pressure was already on the verge of eliminating the species at that time. Attempts to evaluate the possible occurrence in the north-eastern Ogaden (Ethiopia) are planned, but the current security situation makes efforts to get there difficult. Interviews with local people have revealed that it is infrequent or absent from this region. There are no functioning protected areas or active field conservation programmes within its range. Its conservation status is therefore likely to decline further unless effective protection and management of representative populations and their habitat can be developed and implemented. Populations of Speke’s Gazelle are maintained in captivity.

Photo: © Anup Shah / naturepl.com

Status: Endangered

Although chimpanzees are the most abundant and widespread of the apes, with many populations in protected areas, the declines that have occurred are expected to continue, putting the species in the Endangered category. Due to high levels of exploitation, loss of habitat and habitat quality due to expanding human activities, this species is estimated to have experienced a significant population reduction in the past 20 to 30 years. Major threats to the Chimpanzees include habitat destruction and degradation, poaching and disease. Because chimpanzees and humans are so similar, chimpanzees succumb to many diseases that afflict humans. If not properly managed, research and tourism also presents a risk of disease transmission between humans and chimpanzees. Despite conservation measures including listing in CITES and protection by law in most countries, stricter enforcement of wildlife laws and more effective management of protected areas are urgently needed. Conservation education and promotion of economic alternatives to hunting and land-extensive agriculture should also be supported.

Photo© Malcolm Burgess

Status: Endangered

The Mauritius or Echo Parakeet (Psittacula eques) is presently restricted to south-west Mauritius within the Black River Gorges National Park. Following assessment by BirdLife International, the Red List authority for birds, it has been moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The move comes after a steady and prolonged increase in numbers in the wild population as a result of intensive recovery management led by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation working closely with the government of Mauritius. The reversal of this species’ population decline was achieved through captive breeding and release, nest site enhancement and provision of artificial nest cavities, predator and competitor control and restoration of native habitats. Other activities include supplementary feeding, close monitoring of nesting sites and the rescue of eggs/chicks from failing nests. However, its overall population size remains extremely small and it is restricted to a very small range within which habitat continues to decline in quality. The Mauritius Parakeet remains threatened by ongoing degradation of native habitat caused by invasive plant and herbivore species, competition for native fruits with, and predation by, introduced mammals, and the recently established Psittacene beak and feather disease. Only with a concerted and continuing conservation effort will this species’ fortunes continue to improve. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo© J.C. Randrianantoandro

Status: Critically Endangered

Phelsuma antanosy is known from only two forests, one to the east and one to the west of Tolagnaro, approximately 80 km apart in southeastern Madagascar. Ambatotsirongorongo Forest is divided into three fragments totaling approximately 235 ha. At Sainte Luce, it is known from five fragments totaling 560 ha although this is a conservative estimate because its key plant species are rare in three of the five fragments. It used to occur in the west of the 597 ha Petriky forest from where it was discovered but it has not been recorded from this site since 1994 despite regular searches. The extirpation at this site was caused by the removal of its Pandanus habitat for agriculture.

Status: Near Threatened

The Breede River Redfin (Pseudobarbus sp.“Breede”) is Near Threatened with at least 18 populations left in tributary streams of the Breede River system. The major declines in population size occurred just after the invasion of alien fishes during the mid-20th century. Continued habitat degradation is occurring due to expanding agricultural activities including the effects of pesticides, channelisation of riverbeds and over-utilisation of water resources. Alien invasive plants have replaced the natural riparian vegetation in many places. A few reserves protect the upper catchment areas, but these are mostly above fish distribution ranges and are in any case ineffective against the invasion by alien fishes. There is no action plan in place or specific conservation actions to protect or recover populations of this species, apart from limited eradication of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the Hex River, mainly to protect the last remaining riverine population of whitefish (Barbus andrewi).

Photo:© Mark Carwardine / NHPA / Photoshot

Status: Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)

The baiji is a freshwater dolphin that exists only in the Yangtze River in China and is the only remaining living species of an ancient family of dolphins. In the world, it is likely the most endangered cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises), with the last documented sighting having occurred in 2002. Reasons for its decline include entanglement in fishing gear, electric shocking for fish, pollution and disturbance from agriculture, development such as dam building and increased boat traffic. A comprehensive survey in 2006 failed to find a single baiji dolphin in the Yangtze River and, as a result, it has been classified as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) on the 2007 IUCN Red List. The Chinese government implemented several recovery measures such as banning some fishing in the Yangtze river, designating the baiji as a national key protected wildlife species and trying unsuccessfully to capture wild dolphins for a reserve, but this has not been enough to prevent further decline. The IUCN Species Survival Commission’s cetacean specialist group has been involved in providing recommendations for baiji recovery. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo:© Anup Shah / naturepl.com

Status: Critically Endangered

The Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) is listed as Critically Endangered. Endemic to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, this ape has suffered a population decline of more than 80% over the last 75 years. The species is seriously threatened by logging (both legal and illegal), wholesale conversion of forest to agricultural land, and oil palm plantations, and fragmentation by roads. Animals are also illegally hunted and captured for the international pet trade but this appears to be more a symptom of habitat conversion, as orangutans are killed as pests when they raid fruit crops at the forest edge. Most orangutans are outside of protected areas. After a period of relative stability, pressure on these forests is increasing once again as a result of the recent peace accord, and a dramatic increase in demand for timber and other natural resources after the December 2004 tsunami. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo:© Jurgen Freund / naturepl.com

Status: Endangered

The population of Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) has been brought down to dangerously low levels with the species being listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Logging, both legal and illegal, and forest clearing for agriculture are the main culprits. In Borneo, forests have been cleared for the planting of oil palms to meet growing global demand for palm oil and more recently for biofuel production. Climate change events like the El Niño occur more frequently leading to more drought and forest fires. If logging slowly eats away at their habitat, fires and drought decimate hundreds to thousands of orangutans extremely quickly. Indonesia and Malaysia have protected some forests, but most orangutan populations do not live within these areas, so new mechanisms to ensure their survival outside of protected areas are urgently needed. The Bornean orangutans are prohibited on the international market (they are traded as pets and for medicinal uses) through listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo:© G. & H. Denzau / naturepl.com

Status: Critically Endangered

The Gharial (Indian Crocodile) population is currently restricted to the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi river systems in India and Nepal. After decades of conservation activity, the Red List assessment reveals that there are just 182 breeding adults left in the wild in Nepal and India, moving from the Endangered to the Critically Endangered category. There has been excessive irreversible loss of riverine habitat including the irrigation projects, the construction of dams and barrages, irrigation canals, artificial embankments and sand mining that has lead to the decline in numbers of the Gharial. Net fishing is also a major threat to the population when Gharials become entangled in gill nets and drown or sometimes, fisherman can cut off the head or snout of the Gharial. The Gharial can survive the immediate effects if its snout is removed, but slowly starves to death within a year. In 2004, the Gharial Multi Task Force (GMTF) was set up to take a multi-pronged approach to Gharial conservation, to try to protect the Gharial’s habitat by lobbying governments for better enforcement of Gharial sanctuaries and protected river areas. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo: © Gaurav

Status: Critically Endangered

The red headed vulture was once one of the most widespread and abundant vultures in south Asia ranging from Pakistan to Singapore. However, its population has declined dramatically in the recent past and this year it has been re-classified from near Threatened to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. In India, the species started undergoing a rapid decline (41%) per year around 1999 and declined by 94% between 2000 and 2003. Red Headed Vultures are threatened by a number of factors such as the intensification of agriculture and the demise of wild cattle but recent declines over the last eight years are believed to have been caused by the use of the pharmaceutical drug Diclofenac which is used to treat livestock. Diclofenac has proved highly toxic to vultures who feed on livestock carcasses. Much needed conservation measures are being initiated including a ban on the use of diclofenac across the Indian subcontinent and monitoring of vulture populations in India and Cambodia. Continued monitoring and support of the ban on diclofenac will be essential for the survival of this species.

Status: Endangered

The Bangaii Cardinalfish is a small coral reef fish found only in the Banggai Archipelago in Indonesia where it is restricted to 24km 2 across 32 islands. It is very popular in the international aquarium trade and has been heavily exploited since 1994. It is estimated that at present a minimum of 900,000 fish are extracted every year. This exploitation pressure has resulted in an 89% reduction in population from the start of the aquarium fishery around 1995 to 2007. Banggai cardinalfish can be reared in captivity throughout their entire life cycles in captivity but the aquarium industry appears to have made little concerted effort to replace wild-caught with captive-bred fish. It is strongly recommended that efforts be developed to raise this species in captivity in Indonesia to ensure the future survival of this species and to avoid removing livelihoods from this region. - Printable fact sheet ¦ Français

Photo:© John E. Randall

Status: Vulnerable

The squaretail coralgrouper is found on coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is a medium sized reef fish that reaches about 70 cm in length and up to 15 years of age. It is a valuable commercial species that regularly appears on restaurant menus. Live groupers are also exported to Hong Kong and mainland China as part of the live reef-fish food trade where they fetch high prices. This species forms large spawning aggregations where they reproduce at specific times and places each year. Finding and fishing these aggregations can be particularly lucrative for fishermen but it can rapidly led to major population declines. Uncontrolled aggregation-fishing is the biggest threat to the squaretail coralgrouper because it removes mature adults from the population before they have had time to reproduce. Recently, thanks to an increased awareness of this issue communities and fishery departments are starting to protect spawning aggregations. Joint work by the IUCN Grouper and Wrasses Specialist Group and the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations has resulted in draft fisheries legislation in Fiji to protect P. areolatus, and similar species. Protection has also recently introduced in Palawan, Philippines.

Photo © Georgette Douwma / naturepl.com

Status: Vulnerable

The Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) is now considered rare globally, listed as Vulnerable on the Red List, with local densities negatively correlated with fishing pressure across six Indo-Pacific locations, and with suspected local extinctions at some localities. It is abundant only on the Great Barrier Reef and at Rowley Shoals in northwestern Australia. The species is large-sized, and long-lived, but has low replacement rates and high vulnerability to fishing pressure. It appears to be of considerable functional importance as a major bioeroder on coral reefs and maintaining ecosystem resilience. Shoaling and group resting behaviour of the Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) make it highly vulnerable to spearfishing for food, particularly at night and mainly in the Pacific region. Conservation measure for the species include the development of marine protected areas in the Pacific including Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands to protect the species against spearfishing.

Photo: © Damiano Avanzato

Status: Endangered

Although apricots are widely cultivated in many countries, the Wild Apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris) is considered very rare in its natural range (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan). The Wild Apricot is listed on the 2007 IUCN Red List as Endangered. This species is the origin of all cultivated apricots around the world, but is dwindling in its native range as its habitat is lost to construction and tourist developments, and the plant itself is exploited for wood, food and genetic material. This is just one example of the many crop wild relative species that play an essential role in both natural and agricultural systems; the conservation of these species in the wild is important to ensure the future health and productivity of economically important crop species and maintaining the natural environment.

Photo:© Pablo Caceres C

Status: Critically Endangered

Reassessed for 2007, but remaining in the Critically Endangered category. This albatross breeds only on The Pyramid, a large rock stack in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It disperses within the south Pacific Ocean west to Tasmania and east to Chile and Peru. From April-July (non-breeding season) birds migrate to the south-west coast of South America and transit northwards with the Humboldt Current into Peruvian coastal waters. Since 1985, a significant reduction in the extent and condition of vegetation on the breeding area occurred due to extreme storms, and soil was severely reduced. As a result, there is an increased probability of nest collapse, due to reduced moisture retention (as occurred to Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi on the Sisters and Forty-Fours Islands). Since 1998, there has been some improvement in soil and vegetation cover. Parts of the colony that have been exposed to recent storms have had very low productivity, although overall c.60% of nests hatched young between 1997-2000. The only confirmed individual caught by a tuna longliner was reported in 1997, and a further nine were caught by a research vessel and demersal longliners fishing for ling. Birds also attend trawlers off both the east and west coast of New Zealand. Three banded or tagged birds have been reported as caught by coastal longline fisheries in Chile and Peru, 1995-1999, and mortality levels in these regions are potentially the most serious threat to the species. Illegal harvesting of chicks may occur annually, and though suggested numbers are small, this may have some effect on the population.

Photo:© John E. Randall

Status: Vulnerable

The squaretail coralgrouper is found on coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is a medium sized reef fish that reaches about 70 cm in length and up to 15 years of age. It is a valuable commercial species that regularly appears on restaurant menus. Live groupers are also exported to Hong Kong and mainland China as part of the live reef-fish food trade where they fetch high prices. This species forms large spawning aggregations where they reproduce at specific times and places each year. Finding and fishing these aggregations can be particularly lucrative for fishermen but it can rapidly led to major population declines. Uncontrolled aggregation-fishing is the biggest threat to the squaretail coralgrouper because it removes mature adults from the population before they have had time to reproduce. Recently, thanks to an increased awareness of this issue communities and fishery departments are starting to protect spawning aggregations. Joint work by the IUCN Grouper and Wrasses Specialist Group and the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations has resulted in draft fisheries legislation in Fiji to protect P. areolatus, and similar species. Protection has also recently introduced in Palawan, Philippines.

Photo: © Georgette Douwma / naturepl.com

Status: Vulnerable

The Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) is now considered rare globally, listed as Vulnerable on the Red List, with local densities negatively correlated with fishing pressure across six Indo-Pacific locations, and with suspected local extinctions at some localities. It is abundant only on the Great Barrier Reef and at Rowley Shoals in northwestern Australia. The species is large-sized, and long-lived, but has low replacement rates and high vulnerability to fishing pressure. It appears to be of considerable functional importance as a major bioeroder on coral reefs and maintaining ecosystem resilience. Shoaling and group resting behaviour of the Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) make it highly vulnerable to spearfishing for food, particularly at night and mainly in the Pacific region. Conservation measure for the species include the development of marine protected areas in the Pacific including Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands to protect the species against spearfishing.

Photo: © The Shark Trust/Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch

Status: Endangered

The great hammerhead shark is found in tropical waters throughout the world, including in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, parts of the Mediterranean and the coastlines of India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is a solitary and large shark, with adults commonly reaching 4 meters or 13 feet long, making it highly prized for its fins which are being sold primarily in Asian markets. The fin market and accidental catch by other types of fisheries is impacting this shark species, which in previous years was listed as Data Deficient because information was not available throughout its range. Recent assessments indicate a population decline of more than 50% however, and so the great hammerhead moves into the Endangered category on the 2007 IUCN Red List. IUCN will be working with its members to collect more information on this species, communicate with fisheries on methods to conserve it and work to ban shark finning, thus preventing the harvesting of hammerhead sharks for their fins alone.