German naturalist Eduard von Martens was part of an expedition to the Far East in 1862 and found a fish in a fish market in the city of Jakarta on the island of Java, which was then part of the Dutch colony. The strange fish that caught his attention.
It was a small stingray, a popular delicacy in Indonesia, and Martens bought the dead fish. What Von Martens did not know was that he had obtained the last example of this species that science would ever see.
No other specimens have been observed or captured since. Now, more than 160 years later, Java parsnip (Urolophus javanicus)the name of this creature.
This fish is the first marine fish to be declared extinct as a result of human action, according to scientists at CDU Charles Darwin University in Australia, who made this decision after assessing the Red List of threatened species.
The Javan stingray is a plate-sized species of stingray that is so rare that it Only the specimen collected in 1862 was known.
“Intensive and generally unregulated fishing is probably the main threat leading to the extinction of the Javan stingray population; predation of coastal fish in the Java Sea was already declining in the 1870s,” said biologist and lead evaluator Julia Constance. In a statement.
“The northern coast of Java, particularly Jakarta Bay, where the species is known to live, is also Highly industrialized, with significant habitat loss and degradation. “These impacts were unfortunately severe enough to lead to the extinction of this species,” Constance added.
The international team of scientists compiled all available information about the species, including studies and monitoring data, and concluded through modeling that the Javan ray was the first marine fish to become extinct due to human activities.
“A number of fisheries have been extensively monitored along the northern coast of Java and throughout Indonesia, but They couldn’t find the Javan stingrayBenaya Simeon, a CDU scientist who studies threatened rays in Indonesia, said: “The Javan stingray was a unique dinner plate-sized stingray, there was no similar species on the island and its failure to find it throughout numerous studies confirms this.” its extinction”.
Will the vaquita be the next to go extinct?
This bad news comes almost simultaneously with the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) expected to issue the first extinction warning for a marine mammal in 70 years. cow (Phocoena sinus). It is estimated that only 10 vaquitas remain. It is found in Mexico’s Gulf of California, and if action is not taken soon it will soon follow the same path as the Javan ray.
In 2020, scientists declared another fish, the smooth handfish, extinct (Sympterichthys unipennis). However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) later reverted this fish to the “data deficient” category; This means that its extinction has still not been conclusively confirmed.
“Declaring the Javan ray extinct This is a warning sign for everyone Peter Kyne, senior researcher at the CDU Environment and Livelihoods Research Institute, said we needed to protect the planet’s threatened marine species.
“While ensuring the livelihoods of people who depend on fishing resources, we must also consider appropriate management strategies such as protecting habitat and reducing overfishing,” he added.
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Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.