What does the IUCN Red List provide?

The IUCN Red List provides a comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of biological species, making it a crucial tool in biodiversity conservation. It assesses the risk of extinction for thousands of species and subspecies, categorizing them into various levels of threat, such as least concern, vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered. This classification helps researchers, policymakers, and conservationists understand the health of ecosystems and prioritize efforts to prevent biodiversity loss.

Unlike a focus on local species, the Red List encompasses a wide range of species worldwide, providing global insights into conservation needs. It does not serve as a guide for sustainable fishing practices or a database for successful conservation projects; rather, its primary role is to inform conservation strategies by highlighting species that are at risk and the threats they face. This information is vital for making conservation decisions and implementing effective management strategies to protect endangered species and their habitats.