IUCN Red List Updation 2023

Environment and Ecology Biodiversity

15-Dec-23

Context: The IUCN Red List was updated recently at COP28 revealing climate change impacts on species, including 25% of freshwater fish facing extinction.

Change in status of key species

Species	Change in status	Reasons for change in Status	Geographical distribution
Atlantic Salmon (fresh and saltwater fish)	Least Concerned to Near Threatened	Life cycle disruption due to Climate change, reduced prey availability, barriers, pollution, weak adaptation due to escaped salmon breeding, Salmon lice, and invasive species like Pacific Pink salmon.	Northern Europe to North America, especially Hudson River, and Gulf of Maine
Green sea turtles	Central South: Endangered, East Pacific: Vulnerable	High temperature affects hatching and breeding, rising sea levels, changes in currents impact green grass for food, bycatch, and commercial harvesting.	Tropical coastline of Australia and the South Pacific Islands, Africa, India, and South East Asia.
Scimitar-horned oryx (4th large mammal re-introduced in last 100 years)	Extinct in wild to Endangered	Decreased Poaching, community awareness & participation	Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad
Saiga Antelope	Critically Endangered to Near Threatened	anti-poaching measures, training of customs and border officials, and action against illegal sales in consumer countries.	Kazakhstan (98%), Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan (but faces threat of disease outbreaks and mass mortality events)
Big-leaf mahogany (most commercial timber tree)	Vulnerable to Endangered	Ornamental furniture and musical instruments, illegal logging, habitat degradation	Central and South America
large-toothed Lake Turkana robber (fish)	Least Concern to Vulnerable	overfishing, habitat degradation, and reduced inflow of water due to dams.	Endemic to Kenya

About IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

It was established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1964.
It is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus, and plant species.
Red List is a critical indicator of global biodiversity health and a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change.
Information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and actions important for conservation decisions are provided.
Structure: IUCN Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, partner organizations and experts in the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and networks for compilation.

Three Categories in the Red List

Key Changes in the IUCN Red List

This update highlights the strong links between the climate and biodiversity crises, which must be tackled by joint action.
The IUCN Red List now includes 157,190 species, of which 44,016 are threatened with extinction.
It includes the first global freshwater fish assessment and highlights the impact of illegal logging and trade on mahogany.
Species decline reflects the destructive impact of climate change, a crisis to be mitigated with immediate, bold efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The critical role of well-managed freshwater ecosystems for food security, livelihoods, and economies in a climate-resilient world is essential against biodiversity loss.
Conservation efforts have successfully brought two antelope species back from the brink of extinction, but changing climatic conditions could undermine their future.
Positive outcomes: There is progress in assessing Ethiopia's endemic plant species, including endangered ones, emphasizing the role of museums and taxonomists.
Reintroduction of scimitar-horned oryx in Chad showcases the impact of international conservation efforts and community support.

State of the world’s freshwater fish species

Freshwater fishes make up more than half of the world’s known fish species, but freshwater ecosystems comprise only 1% of aquatic habitat.
About 25% of freshwater fish (3,086 out of 14,898 assessed species) are at risk of extinction, and at least 17% of threatened freshwater fish species are affected by climate change.
This is due to decreasing water levels, rising sea levels causing seawater to move up rivers, and shifting seasons.
Threats putting freshwater fish species at risk of extinction include Pollution (57%), dams and water extraction (45%), overfishing (25%), and invasive species and disease harm 33%.
To prevent species decline and ensure resilience to climate change, freshwater ecosystems need effective management, sufficient water flow, and quality.