One fourth of freshwater fish species at risk

Bern, Dec 14 (Prensa Latina) A quarter of the world's freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction as a result of climate change, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revealed.

December 14, 2023
11:42

According to a new assessment of the IUCN Red List, out of 14,898 species analyzed, 3,086 are at risk of extinction.

At least 17% of threatened freshwater fish species are affected by declining water levels, seasonal changes and rising sea levels, which push saltwater into rivers, influenced by global warming.

The risks to fish from this phenomenon are in addition to threats from pollution, which affects 57% of freshwater fish species.

Similarly, dams and water abstraction harm 45% and overfishing 25%, respectively, IUCN said.

Diseases and invasive species harm 33%, the Red List further noted.

For example, the Lake Turkana big-toothed robber (Brycinus ferox), an economically important species in Kenya, moved from least concern to vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of overfishing and habitat degradation driven by climate change.

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