4.1.3. Identify species that require targeted action to enable their recovery.
Primary tools and resources
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (the Red List) is the globally recognised standard on assessing extinction risk. Red List assessments are used by the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES, other inter-governmental agreements, national governments, and conservation planners. The Red List assigns species into one of 8 categories based on 5 criteria, all with quantitative thresholds. The three highest categories of threat – Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable – are collectively considered ‘Threatened’. The Red List process has been formalized to support objectivity and scientific rigour. Red List assessments are carried out by SSC Red List Authorities, Red List Partners, IUCN staff, and regional and national agencies. In addition, Red List assessments provide a compendium of information on species, (taxonomy, geographic range, population, habitat and ecology, threats, conservation actions). The Red List operates at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for application at national or regional levels have been developed and the National Red List Working Group provides additional support.
Red List Authorities have been established for all major taxonomic groups included on the IUCN Red List. In most cases, the RLA is a sub-group within an IUCN SSC Specialist Group responsible for the species, groups of species or species within a specific geographic area. There are some exceptions; for example, BirdLife International is the designated RLA for all birds.
The process is guided by Rules of Procedure, supported by guidelines on application of the Red List Categories and Criteria, the Species Information Service (SIS) data entry and management system, and certification for assessors and RL trainers. All these materials can be downloaded, free, from the Red List website. A free, online training course for Red List assessors, is available.
Species can be assessed for the Red List at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for the Regional (and national) Application of the Categories and Criteria have been developed and support for development of national Red Lists is available from the National Red List Working Group.
How to use
- To check the global Red List status of a species and access the supporting information, visit the species assessment page on the Red List website
- To download the Red List Categories and Criteria, Guidelines, Rules of Procedure, and Guidelines for Application at Regional Level go the Red List resources
- To initiate or to contribute to a global assessment, contact the Chair of the relevant IUCN SSC Specialist Group or Red List Authority, for birds, see BirdLife International
- For taxonomic groups not listed, contact the relevant IUCN SSC Conservation Committee: Marine, Invertebrate, Plant, Fungi, Freshwater, Red List, Standards and Petitions.
- To develop a National Red List for a species or group of species visit the National Red List Working Group
- To obtain details or register for an online Red List training course: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/online
IUCN Green Status of Species
The IUCN Green Status of Species provides a standardised framework to (i) measure species recovery; (ii) recognise conservation achievements; (iii) highlight species which depend on continued conservation actions to maintain their current conservation status; (iv) forecast the expected impact of planned conservation action; and (v) to elevate the level of ambition for species recovery in th3e long-term. GSS is formally part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Green Status assessments are published in the species accounts on the Red List website.
Currently the GSS operates only at global level. Guidelines for application at National level are under development.
How to use
- To see if an assessment has been conducted, check the species account on the RL website: https://www.iucnredlist.org/
- The GSS Standard and Guidelines on use are available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/green-status-assessment-materials
- To initiate or to contribute to a new GSS assessment, contact the Chair of the relevant IUCN SSC Specialist Group or Red List Authority LINK.
IUCN Red List index : guidance for national and regional use. Version 1.1
The RLI monitors trends in extinction risk over time and is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It tracks the conservation status of major species groups, and has been applied so far to birds, mammals, cycads, amphibians, corals. The data can be disaggregated by region, or country.
How to use
For details of the RLI process and to see results: https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index
Other tools and resources
IWC Extinctions Initiative
According to the IUCN Red List a species or subspecies is considered Extinct (EX) when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A species or subspecies is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and expected habitat have failed to record a single individual.
Distinct populations can also become locally extinct. A single species is often made up of several separate populations and one population may be eradicated whilst others continue to live. For example, the North Pacific gray whale population in the eastern North Pacific is considered healthy, but the western population is critically endangered.
Extinction is a natural phenomenon, but current rates of extinction are much higher than historic ‘background rates.’ The lifespan of a species varies depending on a number of factors such as body size and geographic range. Many cetacean species are assessed to have survived between 5 and 30 million years. Today’s increased rates of extinction are due to human activities and associated habitat disruption and climate change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, assesses the conservation status of most plant and animal species, some subspecies, and some subpopulations. They use a rigorous approach to assess all available data for each species against defined criteria, and classify each into one of the IUCN Red List status categories
IWC Population (Abundance) Estimates
Estimates of current population size, known as abundance estimates, are derived from a combination of fieldwork and computer modelling. Vessel-based and aerial sighting surveys, acoustic monitoring, and analysis of individual animal markings are techniques used independently or in conjunction with each other to count whales. The information gathered from this fieldwork is used as the basis for population modelling which produces an abundance estimate.
In 2017, the IWC Scientific Committee established a new expert group to review and agree all the Abundance Estimates submitted to the Scientific Committee. This new process ensures quality and consistency across all the estimates used by the IWC.
Click here to read more about the establishment and work of the Scientific Committee’s Working Group on Abundance Estimates (ASI).
It is impossible for cetacean abundance estimates to be completely precise and IWC estimates are presented as a ‘best estimate’ figure, accompanied by a 95% Confidence Interval, showing a range of plausible values for the population’s actual abundance. As an example, the table below shows that the 1991/92-2003/4 abundance estimate for Southern Hemisphere blue whales is 2,300 with a 95% confidence interval of 1,150-4,500. This means that the range 1,150-4,500 was computed using a method that has a 95% chance of including the population’s actual abundance.
Increases or decreases in population are indicated within the table, where these have been identified.
At present the IWC has agreed estimates only for some species/areas. With the establishment of the ASI group it is planned to update this table and fill in the gaps where possible.
