Five Species of Deepwater Fishes Assessed as Critically Endangered

Using the criteria of the World Conservation Union’s Red List, Jennifer A. Devine of Memorial University Newfoundland in Canada, has assessed the status of the roundnose grenadier ( Coryphaenoides rupestris); the onion-eye grenadier ( Macrourus berglax); the blue hake ( Antimora rostrata), the spiny eel ( Notacanthus chemnitzi) and the spinytail skate ( Bathyraja spinicauda) as critically endangered. The relative abundance has plummeted. Over fishing and highly destructive fishing methods, particularly bottom trawling, have been the main cause of this decline. Human use of the high and deep seas will be on the political agenda at the United Nations from 13-17 February and at the Eighth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP8) in Curitiba, Brazil from March 20-31.