A staggering percentage of the world’s plant and animal species are at risk of extinction, according to the latest IUCN Red List, an inventory of threatened species maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Red List, which was updated Thursday, lists more than 35,700 species — representing almost 30% of all plant and animal species evaluated by the IUCN — as currently threatened with extinction. At least 31 species have also been declared extinct, according to the latest Red List. “The growing list of extinct species is a stark reminder that conservation efforts must urgently expand,” Bruno Oberle, IUCN’s director-general, said in a statement. “To tackle global threats such as unsustainable fisheries, land clearing for agriculture, and invasive species, conservation needs to happen around the world and be incorporated into all sectors of the economy.”

Source: Huffington Post December 11, 2020 03:11 UTC