Filling the Gap and Improving Conservation: How IUCN Red Lists and Historical Scientific Data Can Shed More Light on Threatened Sharks in the Italian Seas
| Autor: | Thaya M. Dinkel, Emilio Sperone, Andrea Travaglini, Marco Signore, Angelo R. Mojetta, Massimiliano Bottaro, Francesco Luigi Leonetti, Peter N. Psomadakis |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
historical ecology
Ecology Ecological Modeling conservation Biodiversity Environmental pollution Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) Bycatch Fishery chondrichthyans Overexploitation Habitat destruction Geography lcsh:Biology (General) Threatened species Mediterranean Sea IUCN Red List lcsh:QH301-705.5 Historical ecology fishing biodiversity Nature and Landscape Conservation |
| Zdroj: | Diversity, Vol 12, Iss 389, p 389 (2020) Diversity Volume 12 Issue 10 |
| ISSN: | 1424-2818 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/d12100389 |
| Popis: | Chondrichthyans are one of the most threatened marine taxa worldwide. This is also the case in the Mediterranean Sea, which is considered an extinction hotspot for rays and sharks. The central position of the Italian peninsula makes it an ideal location for studying the status and changes of this sea. There is a lack of biological, ecological and historical data when assessing shark populations, which is also highlighted in the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Historical data can provide important information to better understand how chondrichthyan populations have changed over time. This study aims to provide a clearer understanding of the changes in distribution and abundance of eight shark species in the Italian seas that are currently classified as at risk of extinction by the IUCN. In this respect, a bibliographic review was conducted on items from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, focusing on the selected species. The results show that all sharks were considered common until the beginning of the 20th century but have declined since, with a clear negative trend, mainly in the past 70 years. The strong local decline has been attributed to overexploitation, bycatch, habitat loss, depletion of prey items and environmental pollution. Furthermore, historical data also allow us to avoid the issue of a &lsquo shifting baseline&rsquo in which contemporary abundances are assumed to be &ldquo normal&rdquo Using historical data to further our knowledge of the marine environment is becoming increasingly common, and is fundamental in understanding human impact and evaluating mitigation measures to manage and conserve marine species and environments. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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