Endangered Species Fish List and Marine Life

The top 5 Endangered Fish Species is shocking. It tells us the Beluga Sturgeon and other fish are in trouble. About 5% of the worlds sustainable seafood are listed on the endangered species list. Based on reports from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's endangered species. Many people would like to blame pollution. But it is mankind's lack of regard for nature which is the leading causes for the threat against endangered fish. Sadly over fishing is a major cause for alarm when it comes to the endangered . For example the Giant Blue Fish Tuna which was once the fish of choice has now been brought to near extinction simply because of too many fisherman targeting this and others on the endangered fish list.


Many fishermen may look at a rare Beluga Sturgeon (currently listed as an endangered species) as a nice trophy to put on the wall. The truth of the matter is that if these fish become extinct no one will be able to take pleasure in fishing anymore. Most fishermen would love to be able to control perfectly which fish ends up on their fishing hook. But what is a fisherman to do if he finds out that one of these fish have already ended up on the end of his fishing line. Of course you aren't going to take the fish home just because you accidentally caught it. Before you release the fish back into the water it would be wise to take note of a few very important points.


You should make a note of approximately when and where you encountered, how many there were and whether they were fully grown adults or not. You should also make a note of whether they were swimming or whether they were feeding. After taking detailed notes of the sort of activity and state that you found the fish in you should proceed to snap several photos of the fish and submit all of this information to your local wildlife committee so that they can add the information to their pool of data regarding the endangered species fish that you caught.


It may not always be the easiest thing to tell whether you have caught and endangered fish are not but hopefully this page will present you with a baseline to make a determination as to whether the fish you have at the end of your fishing line is one of the top 5 endangered marine life or not.


The Atlantic Halibut
The Atlantic Halibut has unfortunately landed on the endangered list. It is one of the most sought after this for eating and is also one of the biggest of the flat fish species, typically found in the North Atlantic Ocean. There is a nationwide ban on fishing the Atlantic halibut on the US coast line. This is primarily due to the fact that the fish can live to be over 50 years old but doesn't reach maturity until it is about 13 years old. This makes the Atlantic halibut exceptionally susceptible to overfishing. To make matters worse this fish can reach a weight of over 1000 pounds and a length of over 9 feet which would be a great catch for any fishermen. The IUCN has however determined this this to be an danger without much hope of coming off the endangered fish list anytime soon, it is very important that we yield to nature and allow this this to continue to thrive in our oceans aren't encumbered by fishermen.


The Beluga Sturgeon
These fish are commonly sought after for food as well as for there eggs which are the popular caviar consumed at many social events. These fish are most prominently found in the Caspian Sea and and can grow to be over 15 feet in length, over 2,000 pounds in weight and may live to be over 100 years old. It is a shame that their eggs are so often sought after, which is one of the leading causes of this fish and other marine life landing on the endangered fish list.  Though over fishing and the taking of their eggs for cuisine is only half of the reason why these fish are on IUCN's list of endangered fish. The other reason is that their natural habitat has been reduced by over 80% in just the last 25 years.


The Acadian Redfish
The Acadian Redfish is an endangered fish measuring only 18" in. yet it is able to survive in the wild on it's own for approximately 45 yrs. or longer. A native of the North Atlantic and with similar attributes to the other fish on our list, the Acadian Redfish is slow in maturing and doesn't reach full reproductive maturity until it has neared the first decade of it's 50 year lifespan. This fish is also a prime target for pirate fishing, which has pushed this fish closer to the top of the endangered fish list. Due to excessive trawling (dragging a net behind a boat that reaches down to the ocean floor in an attempt to capture anything that crosses it's path) the risk of extinction this fish faces is steadily increasing.


The Orange Roughy
The Orange Roughy comes from New Zealand primarily and is also known as the Slimehead. It can likewise be found at times in Australia and Namibia typically on the coast of the great Atlantic Ocean towards the northeast side. Like the Beluga Sturgeon, this fish has an amazing lifespan of some 150 years yet it doesn't find it's ability to reproduce until it has reached about 25 years in age. Sadly the overfishing of the Orange Roughy is often a byproduct of "Bycatch" which is the unintentional capture of a fish that you were not set out to catch.


The Winter Skate
This fish is primarily used as bait to catch marine life such as lobsters as well as for fish meal, although prior to these uses the winter skate was believed to be worthless and often disregarded altogether. Nowadays this fish is even placed on the menu to be eaten by people from time to time. Unfortunately the constant and regrettable act of trawling in their habitat typically off the coast Canada in the Gulf of St. Lawrence clear down to North Carolina, these particular fish have resulted in the capture of their young offspring which strikes a detrimental blow to this species as they too mature late in life and do not reproduce in great numbers.


Fish like the Beluga Sturgeon, Winter Sakte, and other marine life are in dire need of our help if they are to survive, it is up to us to play our role in offering them a fair chance at survival. If you find that you have caught any of these fish please heed the protocol of making proper documentation of the catch and reporting it to your local wildlife committee. This will ensure that our rivers lakes and oceans will always be well stocked not only for our fishing, but for the natural wildlife that depends on these fish for sustenance as well.