Sharks and rays are the most endangered animals in the world – Corriere.it

They are the sharks and the Stingray the most endangered specimens of the marine fauna that gravitates around the barrier Reef. Not only that: they bear a risk of extinction that is double that of similar species but which live in different environments. And this makes them the most endangered group of animals in the world. This was revealed by a joint study by two universities, the Canadian Simon Fraser University and the Australian James Cook Universitypublished today in the journal Nature Communications.

The team of researchers, led by Samantha Sherman of Fraser e Colin Simpfendorfer of the James Cook, has carried out a reconnaissance which, starting from the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (Iucn), took all the considerations into consideration 134 species of reef-associated sharks and rays. And he put them in relation both with the rest of the marine populations that live in the same areas, and with their similar ones that live elsewhere. And in both contexts these animals emerged as the most endangered.

THE risk factors are linked to intensive fishing, which impoverishes the seas by reducing the possibilities of nourishment, but also to the change and downsizing of habitats due to pollution And climate change. The conclusion that without immediate actions to improve their conservation, the decline of these species could be inevitable, with serious repercussions on the balance of the coral reef itself, which lives in close relationship with the species that populate it. And with consequences also for the human populations of the areas that derive their livelihood from the barrier, both for fishing and for tourist activities.

Specifically, the researchers came to the conclusion that the 59% of the endangered reef-dwelling group of sharks and rays. The risk was greatest for the most common large species, such as lo bull shark and the reef manta ray, both present in the waters of over 60 countries. Furthermore, the threat is great especially in those countries where the pressure exerted by fishing is strong and regulatory policies weak, such as Brazil, Tanzania And Indonesia.