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Aim | The European Red List is a review of the conservation status of European species according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level, so that appropriate conservation action can be taken to improve their status. This Red List publication summarises results fo...
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Aim | The European Red List is a review of the conservation status of European species according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level, so that appropriate conservation action can be taken to improve their status. This Red List publication summarises results fo...
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... Anthropogenic pressures like climate change, habitat degradation, harvesting, and pollutants affect the abundances and distribution of a large fraction of the globe's marine and freshwater species (Adams et al., 2014 ;Visconti et al., 2016 ;Nieto et al., 2017 ). Assessments of population status often require surveys of high statistical quality and spatial coverage, that are expensive and mainly available for species of the highest human interest, such as the most exploited or endangered species. ...
Human impact does not only affect the abundances of fish, but also the age- and size-distributions. Indicators of fish age and size-structures can hence be useful tools for fisheries- and environmental management. Size-based indicators have been tested and proposed for large, homogenous marine ecosystems with high fishing mortality, but rarely for fine-scaled heterogeneous ecosystems in coastal zones. Here we analyse a suite of size indicators for coastal fish communities in the Baltic Sea, including mean and median length, 10th and 90th-percentile of the length distribution (L10, L90), mean length of the 10% largest fish (Lmax), large fish indices, size-spectra, and size-diversity. Results show good precision and accuracy of most indicators at realistic sample sizes, except for size-spectra and size-diversity, making them less suitable. Different indicators showed correlations among sites, indicating similar responses to environmental variation. Most size indicators responded positively to lower fishing pressure, especially indicators emphasizing the largest individuals in the population (e.g. L90 and Lmax), whereas eutrophication and physical disturbances had less impact. We conclude that size-based indicators aiming at describing the occurrence of larger fish, like L90 and Lmax, are useful for establishing management targets and assessing the status of coastal fish.
... Among these only the blackmouth catshark is considered a non vulnerable species (according to IUCN), while the rest are defined "strongly threatened" or "lack enough data for classification" (Dulvy et al., 2016). The kitefin shark Dalatias licha is listed on IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2020) and classified as "Near Threatened" (NT) at global level and "Endangered" (EN) in European and Mediterranean waters (Nieto et al., 2015;Dulvy et al., 2016). It is widely distributed over continental shelves and slopes in either warm temperate and tropical areas, down to 1800 m (Compagno, 1984). ...
... The kitefin shark Dalatias licha is a deep-sea shark incidentally caught by bottom-contact fisheries down to 800 m depth at mid latitudes. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) D. licha is an endangered species (Nieto et al., 2015;Dulvy et al., 2016). Recently the observations of this shark are becoming so rare that the European Council set a quota zero for certain European maritime sectors (EU, 2021). ...
... In Mediterranean waters (as in the other European seas), deepsea cartilaginous fishes are not primary fishing targets, but represent in most cases victims of the by-catch. Most of these species monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are reported as endangered or data deficient (Nieto et al., 2015;Dulvy et al., 2016). The track record of European fisheries is clearly unsustainable also for deep-sea sharks (Villasante et al., 2012), as evident from the remarkable decline of the abundance of deep-sea sharks (Danovaro et al., 2010;Eigaard et al., 2017). ...
Due to their late maturation, extreme longevity, low fecundity and slow growth rates, deep-sea Chondrichthyes are extremely vulnerable to human impacts. Moreover, assessing the impact of deep-sea fisheries is difficult, as many species (including sharks) are part of the bycatch and are often discarded at sea, and/or landed under generic commercial-species codes. The lack of this information on fishery data sets and the limited availability of species-specific life history data make challenging the management of deep-sea Chondrichthyes. The kitefin shark Dalatias licha is a cosmopolitan elasmobranch, mainly found on continental and insular shelf-breaks and slopes in warm-temperate and tropical waters. This species is a common by-catch of the deep-sea trawling, considered as “Endangered” by the IUCN Red List for all European waters, Mediterranean Sea included. Here we present the results of a study based on a total of 78 specimens of kitefin shark collected over 3 years in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) as by-catch from deep-water fisheries. Total length ranged from 380 to 1164 mm, and individual weight ranged from 198 to 8000 g. Immature and mature individuals showed a sex ratio dominated by males. Adult males were observed throughout the year, while mature females were observed only in spring-summer. These data lead to hypothesise a spatial segregation between genders. The kitefin shark diet was dominated by bony fish (mainly Macrouridae) and other small sharks (e.g., Galeus melastomus and Etmopterus spinax), but their gut included plastic items and parasites. Data reported here underline the rarity, complex ecology and the threat for this shark species and support the urgency of promoting initiatives for their monitoring and conservation.
... Production was reduced after that with smaller, slower growing, and later maturing salmon [6,7]. Consequently, the species was assessed as vulnerable (VU A2ace) in Europe [8]. These impacts have been more severe in southern European populations, where effective population sizes have been reported to be rather low [9] and negatively affected by current climate change [10][11][12]. ...
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar supports highly valuable commercial and recreational fisheries in Europe, but its stocks are currently overexploited and threatened by climate change. Its southernmost populations (in northern Spain) play a key role in conserving the species’ original genetic diversity, which is endangered due to decades-long (1970s to 1990s) massive stocking with non-native stocks. Their decline is well documented, but the effect of stock transfer and conservation efforts is unclear. Nine microsatellite loci were amplified from archival samples (scales from 1958–1959) from eight Spanish rivers to analyse the species’ natural genetic dynamics before its decline started. Allelic richness was high in the historical populations (the 1950s) and above most contemporary estimates. Private alleles were found in most rivers, indicating high local uniqueness and relative isolation among river basins. Some alleles are regional markers since they are rare or absent from contemporary northern European populations. Effective population size suggested good conservation status, with higher values than those estimated for contemporary populations. Strong population structure and genetic differentiation between rivers were found, with limited gene flow, restricted to geographically close populations. Our estimates of historical genetic diversity and structure from southernmost salmon populations are a powerful benchmark to guide conservation programs.
... The biological sensitivity and conservation concern of A. lupus has long been recognized in Canadian waters as a Special Concern Species (Part 4) on the Species at Risk Act, SARA (Canada Gazette, 2003). In the north-eastern Atlantic, the recent Red List assessments for European marine fish (Nieto et al., 2015) listed A. lupus as Data Deficient. The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) (2017) included A. lupus within the integrative sensitive species indicator for biodiversity assessment, based on the Greenstreet et al. (2012) methodology that defined sensitivity based on life-history traits. ...
Anarhichas lupus is a boreo‐Arctic species with biological characteristics often associated with vulnerability to overexploitation. Although not commercially targeted in the North Sea, A. lupus is a bycatch species in mixed demersal fisheries. Here we provide an overview of the status of A. lupus in the North Sea, as observed from commercial landings and fishery‐independent trawl survey data. A. lupus was once common across much of the central and northern North Sea but, since the 1980s, have declined in abundance, demographic characteristics (reduced size) and geographical range, with the shallower and more southerly parts of its range most impacted. A. lupus is still relatively frequent in the northern North Sea, where fishing intensity, though decreasing, is high. Bycatch through fishing remains a potential threat and, considering the likely impacts of predicted climate change on cold‐water species, risks of further regional depletion and/or range contraction remain. Whether or not A. lupus is able to re‐establish viable populations in former habitat in UK coastal waters is unknown. Given the lack of data, the precautionary principle would suggest that manageable pressures be minimized where the species and its habitat are at risk of further impacts, and more regular assessments of population status be undertaken.
... To achieve this aim, we ranked fish species according to their sensitivity to bottom and beam trawling in the Northeast Atlantic using gear efficiencies estimated by Walker, Maxwell, Le Quesne, and Jennings (2017). We then investigated whether species sensitivity was related to IUCN species status (Nieto et al, 2015), and whether management measures are in place to limit the impact of fishing on sensitive species. Finally, we examined the temporal development in the abundance of sensitive species in survey catches throughout the Northeast Atlantic and compared changes in abundance to sensitivity, current management measures, the decreases in fishing effort from 2000 onwards and market value of the species. ...
The protection of sensitive species from overfishing is a key aspect of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management.
We use life‐history parameters and knowledge of fish shape and habitat to estimate the sensitivity of 270 species in the Northeast Atlantic to demersal trawling and compare sensitivity to the most recent IUCN categorization. Species classified as threatened were on average significantly more sensitive to trawling than other species. Using trawl surveys in European Atlantic waters from 36°N to 62°N, we estimated indicators of abundance of 31 highly sensitive species and compared changes in abundance to sensitivity, management measures, and value of landings.
The abundance of 23 of the 31 sensitive species increased after year 2000 with 14 of the species showing increases significant at the 5% level. The increases were not due to specific management measures, as less than half of the species were covered by catch limits. Furthermore, sensitivity or value of landings was not related to trends in abundance.
Three species (Atlantic wolf‐fish, tusk and starry ray) declined significantly. These species are all at their southern distributional limit in the North Sea.
Synthesis and applications. We recommend monitoring the development of sensitive species to identify species under pressure and allow rapid management actions before species enter the IUCN threatened category. Furthermore, we recommend taking precautions where species are under combined pressure from climate change and fishing.
... Similarly, the effects of long-term unsustainable fishing practises have pushed certain fish species to the point of local extinction (Luiz & Edwards, 2011), with global extinction becoming an ever more realistic possibility. Today, over 90 species of European marine fishes are threatened by extinction due to overfishing (Nieto et al., 2017). ...
Plastic products have facilitated the daily lives of an exponentially increasing world population for over 70 years, whilst inadvertently creating one of the most topical environmental issues of the 21st Century: the plastic pollution crisis. Since the mid-20th Century, plastic production has expanded continuously to global production levels of over 350 million tons in 2018 (Thompson et al. 2009; Plastics Europe, 2019). Articles surrounding the presence and impacts of plastic pollution on aquatic animals including fish species have become a regular occurrence on media platforms (Kramm et al. 2018) and scientific publications (Henderson & Green, 2020); however, while iconic pictures of individual fish and other taxa with variously attached or ingested plastics might make headlines, they do not of themselves prove impacts, absolute or relative, at population levels.
... European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a globally threatened species 160 that is considered Critically Endangered in Europe. 161 The most recent stock assessment for the Northeast Atlantic indicated its status as being critical. 162 It is protected under OSPAR in the Greater North Sea and other Northeast Atlantic regions. ...
The northern waters of the Danish North Sea encompass a wide range of depths, reaching down to 480 m in the region of the Skagerrak. The area is home to a rich diversity of seabed habitats and associated species, including those that are priorities for marine conservation at EU and international levels. As a result, eight marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated with the aim of protecting habitats such as reefs, bubbling reefs, and sandbanks, as well as harbour porpoise. However, the poor condition of protected habitats within these areas indicates that current protection is insufficient, and recent assessments of the Danish MPA network have revealed key gaps in coverage in the North Sea that must be addressed, particularly in offshore areas. On the basis of its findings, Oceana recommends the designation or enlargement of MPAs to safeguard these valuable features in specific areas, and the formal protection of priority features that occur within existing MPAs but which are not currently protected by those sites. Critically, given the intensity of human pressure in the Danish North Sea, designated MPAs must be effectively managed if they are to achieve their intended conservation aims.
... We strongly recommend the creation of a working group on Central and South American fish species. Several regional initiatives have been developed by IUCN in Europe (AbdulMalak et al., 2011;Freyhof & Brooks, 2011;Nieto et al., 2015), Africa and Asia(Allen et al., 2010;Allen, Smith, & Darwall, 2012;Molur et al., 2011). However, only a partial report of North and Central America Chondrichthyans(Kyne et al., 2012) and an assessment in the Andean region(Tognelli, Lasso, Bota-Sierra, Jiménez-Segura, & Cox, 2016) have been carried out on the continent so far. ...
More than 33,500 fish species inhabit freshwater and marine environments, according to FishBase database records. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the conservation status of approximately half of them, the lowest percentage in any vertebrate group.
In order to identify what factors may underlie this assessment gap, several traits were examined related to distribution, life‐history, taxonomy, conservation, and the economic relevance of species according to their assessment status. IUCN assessment patterns were explored and separate analyses were included for freshwater and marine species.
The results showed that IUCN assessments were biased towards economically developed regions, species with early description dates and species covered by current IUCN specialist groups. Species living in remote areas or habitats were more likely to be unassessed. In particular, South America had low assessment levels. Other traits such as commercial importance did not influence the assessment status of fish species.
We therefore encourage assessment in poorly assessed areas and taxonomic subgroups to prompt timely conservation action to prevent species extinctions.
... Moreover, for most non-data-deficient species, the risk assessment was based on suspected trends and not adequately supported by quantitative analyses. For instance, the conservation status of the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, Lamnidae) was raised from Endangered to Critically Endangered in both Mediterranean and European Regional Red Lists (Dulvy et al., 2016;Nieto et al., 2015) solely on the ground of its current sporadic occurrence in the region and suspected declines. ...
... Our results are in contrast with population abundance increases inferred in other regions, such as California (Lowe et al., 2012), north-western Atlantic (Curtis et al., 2014), South Africa(Dudley & Simpfendorfer, 2006) and Australia(Reid et al., 2011).Conversely, they are in line with regions where the white shark occurrence data are sparse and infrequent, such as the Northwest Pacific Ocean(Christiansen et al., 2014). These results confirmed earlier evidence of regional declines provided byMcPherson and Myers (2009), Boldrocchi et al., (2017) andFerretti et al. (2008) for a larger taxonomic group, but scaled-down recent Red List assessments carried out by the IUCN, which classified the white shark as critically endangered in the Mediterranean Sea and European waters(Dulvy et al., 2016;Nieto et al., 2015). Our results suggest instead an overall decline of 61.5% over the last 10 years or three generations, which would classify the species as endangered (EN) "if the reduction causes may not have ceased or well understood," ...
Conservation of apex predators is a key challenge both in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The white shark is a rare but persistent inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea and it is currently assessed as “critically endangered” in the region. However, the population trends and dynamics of this species in the area are still unknown. Little is known about white shark distribution, habitat use and population abundance trends, aspects that are critical for conservation and management. In this study, we built the most comprehensive database of white shark occurrence records in the region. We collected 773 different records from different sources and used them to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of abundance of Mediterranean white sharks between 1860 and 2016. We analysed these data by using generalized additive models and used spatially disaggregated information on human population abundance as a proxy of observation effort. Our results suggest a complex trajectory of population change characterized by a historical increase and a more recent reduction (61%, range 58%–72%) since the second half of the 20th century. In particular, analyses reveal a 52% (range 37%–88%) to 96% (range 92%–100%) overall decline in different Mediterranean sectors and a contraction in spatial distribution. Here, we provide the first reconstruction of abundance trends and offer new hypotheses regarding the drivers of change of white sharks in the Mediterranean. Our approach can be broadly applied to data‐poor contexts to reconstruct change and inform the conservation of endangered top predators in the Mediterranean Sea and other intensely used marine regions.
... When compared regionally, endemism in New Zealand (20%) was higher than in Europe (15.2%; Nieto et al., 2015) and comparable to that of the Arabian Sea region (19.6%; Jabado et al., 2017). ...
... Zealand had a much lower proportion of threatened species (4%) than Europe (32%; Nieto et al., 2015) and the Arabian Sea region (51%; (Figure 3; Appendix). ...
... Many species are endemic to the region (20%), and New Zealand also hosts a substantial proportion of the recognized chimaeroid diversity (~20%). The low extinction risk of the region (4%) is in stark contrast to other recent regional assessments, where a third and over half of species in Europe and the Arabian Sea respectively were listed in a threatened category (Jabado et al., 2017;Nieto et al., 2015). Where chondrichthyans were found across regions, species were listed at much higher risk of extinction outside New Zealand, particularly those that are deepwater species. ...
• The national extinction risk of 103 New Zealand chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), ~10% of the global chondrichthyan fauna, was evaluated for the first time using the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species Categories and Criteria. Across 32 families, 103 species were assessed.
• New Zealand holds a high degree of species endemism (20%) with deepwater species dominating the fauna (77%). Sharks were the most speciose group with 68 species (66%), followed by 24 rays (23%), and 11 chimaeras (10%).
• Most species were assessed as Least Concern (60%, 62 species) or Data Deficient (32%, 33 species), with four (3.8%) species listed as Near Threatened and four (3.8%) in a threatened category (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). Threatened species are all oceanic pelagic, of which two are only visitors to New Zealand waters, and their status the result of broader regional declines.
• These results are in stark contrast to other recent regional assessments in Europe and the Arabian Sea and adjacent areas, where up to half of species were listed in a threatened category. However, given New Zealand's extensive deepwater fishing effort and rapid collapses of deepwater chondrichthyan fisheries elsewhere, it is possible that New Zealand populations of many deepwater species are the remnants of previously reduced populations that are now at a low, yet stable level. Ongoing species‐level catch monitoring will be required to ensure these species do not become threatened.
• Recommendations for future research and conservation efforts include resolving taxonomic uncertainties, understanding habitat use, and increasing regional collaborations to better understand the effects of fishing on wider‐ranging species.
