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According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of endangered species, 1.414 species of fish, or 5% of the world’s known species, are at risk of extinction. While habitat loss and pollution are significant factors in the decline of these species, the greatest threat by far is overfishing. While it’s difficult to determine which fish are the most endangered, the following list represents 10 endangered fish commonly harvested for food
Atlantic Halibut
Found in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic Halibut is the largest of the flat fish species. Boasting a 50-year lifespan, it can reach a length of 9 feet and weigh up to 1.000 pounds. But because this slow-growing fish doesn’t become sexually mature until it’s 10 to 14 years old, it’s particularly susceptible to overfishing. The IUCN classifies them as endangered, and their numbers are not expected recover in the near future.
Beluga Sturgeon
Native to the Caspian Sea, this ancient fish can grow to 15 feet in length, weigh more than a ton and live to be 100 years old. Due to the popularity of their eggs, they’re heavily overfish. This particularly problematic because this species doesn’t reach sexual maturity until 20 or 25 years of age. In addition to fishing pressures, Beluga Sturgeon suffer from habitat reduction, having lost 90% of their historic spawning grounds over the past several decades. Because of these pressures, the IUCN classified the Beluga Sturgeon as endangered, and the population is expected to continue its decline.
Acadian Redfish
This species of North Atlantic fish grows to about 20 inches in length and can live as long as 50 years. Like other overfished species, the Acadian Redfish is slow-growing and reaches reproductive age late – at about 8 or 9 years old. Acadian Redfish has been subject to pirate fishing, or fishing done in violation of environtmental law. For tese reasons, the IUCN lists the species as endangered.
Orange Roughy
Also known as the “slimehead”, the Orange Roughy has a wide-ranging habitat that includes the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, Namibia and the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Its life expectancy is up to 149 years, and it reaches sexual maturation age between 20 and 32 years, making it the epitome of a species inherently vulnurable to overfishing. Though the IUCN hasn’t reviewed this species to determine if it is endangered, a number of other organizations have recognized the significant decline in its numbers after only 25 years of commercial harvesting.
Winter Skate
The Winter Skate are found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina in the United States. Once thought to be a “trash fish”, the Winter Skate is now harvested and processed into fishmeal and lobster bait, and is even marketed for human consumption. Experts blame these factors for a 90% reduction in mature individuals since 1970s. This devastating decline has earned the Winter Skate a critically endangered rating from the IUCN.
Bocaccio Rockfish
This 3-foot fish reches reproductive age sooner than many overfished species – as early as 4 to 5 years – its larvae has a very low survival rate. Changes in ocean currents and temperature since 1970s mean that large numbers of Bocaccio larvae live to become juveniles only once every 20 years. In response to their dwindling numbers, the United States closed several fisheries along the West Coast in 2002. But even without trawling in these areas, scientists believe it could take 100 years for Bocaccio populations to recover.
European Eel
Found primarily in the North Atlantic and the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, European Eelface a unique set of survival challenges. They have a fascinating development cycle, which begins with their birth out at sea and continues in freshwater streams thousands of miles inland, where they can grow to a length of 4,5. When they reach sexual maturity, at anywhere from 6 to 30 myears of age, they return to the sea to spawn. But if they make it back to salt water and reproduce, they die. Because of this unusual life cycle, any eel that is caught at sea is a juvenile that has not yet had a chance to spawn. This has resulted in catastrophic overfishing of the European eel, and a critically endangered rating from IUCN.
Goliath Grouper
Also known as the jewfish, it lives in the subtropical areas of the eastern Pacific (from Baja California to Peru) and the Atlantic (from North Carolina to Brazil). Overfishing of the Goliath grouper is a result of two main issues. First, it reproduces for only a short period of time, resulting in relatively few offspring compared to other species. Second, juveniles often become accidental bycatch in other fishing operations. Out of concern for the Goliath grouper’s survival, the United States banned harvest of the species, and the IUCN rated them as critically endangered.
Maltese Ray
Today, its range is limited to the heavily-fished Strait of Sicily, a 90-mile-wide channel between Italy and Tunisia. It grows slowly, matures late and produces few offspring. Once they’re caught, these unwanted fish are thrown back into the water, dead or dying. The decreasing population of this species and the slow response by regional governments to save it earned the Maltese ray a critically endangered rating from the IUCN.
Bluefin Tuna
One of the fastest fish in the sea, this species can grow to a length of 10 feet and weigh more than 1,400 pounds. This species’ reputation as a fighter has made it a popular catch among recreational fisherman. And at a going rate of up to $100,000 per fish, it’s highly prized by commercial fisherman as well. Bluefin tuna are heavily overfished, and most experts agree that without prompt intervention, the slow-growing, slow-maturing species will become extinct.
Source: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/top-10-most-endangered-fish.htm