What threat level is assigned to the European and Mediterranean populations of the great white shark by the IUCN, which is a worse outlook than the global listing?
Answer
Critically Endangered
While the great white shark species as a whole is listed as Vulnerable globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), regional populations face far more severe pressures. Specifically, the populations inhabiting the European and Mediterranean waters are designated as Critically Endangered. This indicates an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild for these specific regional groups. The main pressures contributing to these declining numbers include incidental capture as bycatch in commercial fishing and entanglement in shark control measures implemented in areas like Australia and South Africa.
Related Questions
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