the new red list of threatened species now includes more than 157,000 species

The Atlantic salmon, the green turtle or the scimitar-horned oryx… The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) unveiled, Monday December 11, during COP28 in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the new global inventory of the conservation status of plant and animal species. The red list, which measures the risk of extinction of the latter, now includes 157,190 species, including 44,016 threatened with extinction on a global scale.

In the new list, the green turtles of the south central and eastern Pacific Ocean are respectively classified “in danger” And “vulnerable”, affected by the effects of global warming and accidental catches during fishing. Among the other changes made, Atlantic salmon – previously classified in the category “minor concern” – is now considered “almost threatened”. Its population on a global scale declined by 23% between 2006 and 2020, due in particular to the scarcity of its prey linked to climate change and the consequences of human activities.

On the plant side, large-leaved mahogany, also known as mahogany wood – used to make furniture, decorative elements or musical instruments – is going from “vulnerable” has “in danger”. Its population in Central and Latin America has decreased by at least 60% over the last 180 years, specifies the IUCN, as a result of unsustainable farming methods or urban growth and that of agricultural land eating away at tropical forests.