Endangered Marine Species Guide

This flipbook is a guide from WWF to identify the main at-risk aquatic creatures found in seafood supply chains.

Endangered animals refer to those wild animals whose population and distribution range have been reduced to the point where it is difficult to maintain their existence due to natural or human factors. Endangered animals generally have the characteristics of a too-small population, too low density, small distribution area or scattered separation, or some kind of obstacles and defects in reproduction and genetics.

Due to the characteristics of mobility, integrity, and sharing of marine biological resources, in the ocean, protection measures for endangered animals often require cooperation between different countries. Compared with the protection of endangered terrestrial animals, issues such as conflicts of interest among other parties have become more extensive and complex.

Human use of global populations of marine species has halved since 1970, with some of the most important species experiencing even greater declines. There are more than 400 known endangered species and marine species of seafood-related to human consumption, affecting the natural ecology and food chain! Populations of some threatened species take time and effort to recover, and fishing pressure is reduced by removing them from purchases. Fortunately, there are some eco-friendly options on the market. The governments of both source and importing countries need to seriously improve the management of fishery resources and strengthen the supervision and enforcement of related trade. As a responsible corporate consumer, you can choose environmentally friendly seafood from well-managed fish farms or fisheries through careful sourcing in accordance with the Seafood Selection Guidelines.

The most common endangered species in the seafood supply:

• Abalone
• Bluefin tuna
• Conch
• Freshwater eel
• Grouper
• Sea cucumber
• Shark
• Skate & ray
• Sturgeon
• Totoba