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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Patrick Greenfield

Marine life hit by ‘perfect storm’ as red list reveals species close to extinction

A dugong (seacow) feeding on sea grass underwater.
Dugongs, which feed on seagrass, are close to extinction in east Africa and New Caledonia, according to IUCN research. Photograph: vkilikov/Alamy

Illegal and unsustainable fishing, fossil fuel exploration, the climate crisis and disease are pushing marine species to the brink of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, with populations of dugongs, abalone shellfish and pillar coral at risk of disappearing for ever.

Marine life is facing a “perfect storm” of human overconsumption, threatening the survival of some of the world’s most expensive seafood, according to the conservation organisation, which publishes the most up-to-date information on the health of wildlife populations on Earth.

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