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Monday, March 28, 2016
Rare Marine “Living Fossil” Gains Legal Protections

Fisheries Service Lists the Coelacanth Under the Endangered Species Act
Contact: Taylor Jones (720) 443-2615 tjones@wildearthguardians.org

Washington, DC—Today,the National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries Service) announced it willlist the Tanzanian population of African coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) as “threatened” under the Endangered SpeciesAct (ESA) in response to a petition to protect the imperiled species submittedby WildEarth Guardians. The African coelacanth is one of only two survivingspecies of an ancient lineage of fishes thought to have gone extinct 65 millionyears ago. The discovery of the “living fossils” in 1938 was surprising andsparked an interest in conservation of the rare species.

“Coelacanths swamthe oceans when dinosaurs ruled the earth, but they are facing serious threatsin the modern world,” said Taylor Jones, endangered species advocate for WildEarthGuardians. “We’re thrilled this incredible livingfossil is receiving stronger protections.”

Coelacanths are secretive fish thatinhabit underwater caves and canyons in deepwater coastal habitats, which likelyprovide shelter from predators and ocean currents. There are three confirmedcoelacanth populations: one each off the coasts of the Comoro Islands, SouthAfrica, and Tanzania. Coelacanths live upwards of 40 to 50 years andpotentially even 100 years. They have the longest gestation period of anyvertebrate; the young gestate for 3 years before being born.

The coelacanth population off thecoast of Tanzania faces potential threats from port construction, bycatch inshark gillnets, and warming oceans. This isolated population is vulnerable toextinction from chance events and natural disasters, and little chance exists thatthe long-lived, slow-reproducing fish could recover from a population crash.

“Our oceans are facing seriousthreats, and we are losing species at an unprecedented rate,” said Jones. “Wecall on the Fisheries Service to more proactively protect our most imperiledmarine species before it is too late.”

WildEarth Guardians submitted a petition to list 81 marine speciesand subpopulations, including the coelacanth, under the ESA in July of 2013 dueto significant threats to our oceans. An estimated50 to 80 percent of all life on earth is found in the oceans. More than half ofmarine species may be at risk of extinction by 2100 without significantconservation efforts. Despite this grave situation, the U.S. largely fails toprotect marine species under the ESA. Of the 2,216species protected under the Act, only 125 (~5 percent) are marine species.Recognizing the decline of ocean health, on July 22, 2010, President Obamaissued an Executive Order requiring agencies, including the Fisheries Service,to “protect, maintain, and restore the health and biological diversity ofocean… ecosystems,” and to “use the best available science and knowledge toinform decisions affecting the ocean.” WildEarth Guardians’ multi-speciesmarine petition seeks to compel the Fisheries Service to live up to thismandate.

Protection under theESA is an effective safety net for imperiled species: more than 99 percent ofplants and animals protected by the law exist today. The law is especiallyimportant as a defense against the current extinction crisis; species aredisappearing at a rate much higher than the natural rate of extinction due tohuman activities. Scientists estimate that 227 species would have gone extinctby 2006 if not for ESA protections. Listing specieswith global distribution helps focus U.S. resources toward enforcement ofinternational regulation and recovery of the species.