The authoritative Red List says mankind's "growing appetite for resources" is devastating global biodiversity
Monday 17 November 2014
Snakes, butterflies, and a number of exotic fish are on the brink of extinction, according to the latest list of the world's most endangered species.
The 50th annual Red List, from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, claims there are more than 22,000 animal species whose survival is to some extent threatened.
At the latest List's launch in Sydney, the organisation blamed mankind's growing appetite for resources" - from food to fuel - for damaging global biodiversity.
The IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre said: "Each update of the IUCN Red List makes us realise that our planet is constantly losing its incredible diversity of life, largely due to our destructive actions to satisfy our growing appetite for resources.
"But we have scientific evidence that protected areas can play a central role in reversing this trend. Experts warn that threatened species poorly represented in protected areas are declining twice as fast as those which are well represented.
"Our responsibility is to increase the number of protected areas and ensure that they are effectively managed so that they can contribute to saving our planet's biodiversity."
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