The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 21 species extinct on Monday, nearly doubling the number of species delisted under the Endangered Species Act due to their eradication.
The list, which contains 10 species of birds, two fish species, eight species of mussels, and one mammal, contains a majority of organisms that were originally listed under the ESA in the 1970s and ‘80s. According to the agency, most of the species were in low numbers and were likely already extinct at the time of listing.
ISRAEL WAR: US TO EVACUATE STRANDED AMERICANS BY SEA AS CONFLICT ESCALATES
“Federal protection came too late to reverse these species’ decline, and it’s a wake-up call on the importance of conserving imperiled species before it’s too late,” agency Director Martha Williams said in a statement. “As we commemorate 50 years of the Endangered Species Act this year, we are reminded of the Act’s purpose to be a safety net that stops the journey toward extinction. The ultimate goal is to recover these species, so they no longer need the Act’s protection.”
The current list of extinct species covers most of the organisms proposed for extinction delisting in 2021. Two species — a Hawaiian perennial herb in the mint family that goes by the name of Phyllostegia glabra var. Lanaiensis, and the ivory-billed woodpecker — were not included in the final list of delisted species. The herb was taken off the list due to new surveys identifying new, potentially suitable habitats for the species. As for the ivory woodpecker, the Wildlife Service said in a press statement that it will “continue to analyze and review the information before deciding whether to delist” the species.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Before Monday’s announcement, the number of species that had been delisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to extinction came up to 11. The 21 species declared extinct will bring that total up to 32.
The newly extinct species will also join at least 881 organisms in having gone extinct since roughly 1500, dating back to the records first held by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global scientific authority on the status of nature and wildlife.