Natural resource → The red list

The Red List

Do you know what is the current status of natural tuna stocks internationally?
Let's see the Red List, an international list of threatened wildlife.

What's the red list

The Red List is an international list of threatened wildlife species, and coordinated by by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Japan portion of the list is coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, with the cooperation of local governments and NGOs.

Position of tunas on the Red List

The figure below illustrates the current status of the eight species of tuna on the IUCN Red List.

The southern bluefin tuna is listed as endangered, the bigeye tuna is listed as threatened, and the bluefin tuna is listed as near threatened and is rated as being at high risk of natural extinction. The other four species are rated as having a relatively low risk of extinction.

Assessments by the IUCN were conducted prior to 2021, in 1996 and 2011.

Looking at the change in extinction risk since 1996, the southern bluefin tuna, the most at risk among tuna species, was rated CR (near threatened) in the previous 2011 survey, but in the latest assessment, it has been lowered one rank in risk to EN (endangered).Similarly, bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin tuna, albacore, and yellowfin tuna are also rated as less endangered than before.
Thus, why has the extinction risk of tuna species decreased in recent years?

Behind the reduced risk of tuna extinction is a global initiative for the sustainable use of tuna resources!
We will discuss these efforts in turn in subsequent sessions.

It is good news that the number of endangered Southern bluefin tuna is increasing. On the other hand, the declining numbers of Bigeye and other three species of tuna is alarming.
It is very difficult to grasp the quantity of natural resources in the ocean because of its vastness. However, understanding the actual status of the ocean's natural resources is important data for making the ocean sustainable. Therefore, it is necessary to continue our efforts to accurately grasp the volume of resources.

Reference

環境省　レッドリスト・レッドデータブック
　　(translated title: Ministry of Environment, Japan, Red List & Red Data book)
　　https://www.env.go.jp/nature/kisho/hozen/redlist/index.html
　　(Confirmed：2023/1/7)
　　(in Japanese)

THE IUCN REDLIST OF THRESTENED SPECIES
　　https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja
　　(Confirmed：2023/1/7)

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