Major pressures
Why species decline
Habitat loss
Dams, wetland drainage, river modification, coastal development and reef degradation can remove essential habitat.
Overfishing
Removing adults faster than populations can replace them reduces abundance.
Pollution
Contaminants, sedimentation, eutrophication and plastics can affect fish and food webs.
Climate change
Warming, oxygen loss and altered rainfall can shift habitat and reproduction.
Illegal trade
Protected species may be targeted for ornamental trade, meat, fins or caviar.
Invasive species
Introductions can compete, prey on native fish or alter habitats.
“Rare” and “Endangered” are not interchangeable. Global conservation status can differ from local abundance and national legal protection.