Lost and Threatened Species

Dae-Min Kim

  In the millenia since, great number of animals and plants have come and gone, their ranges naturally, primarily because of climatic functuations. The greatest changes, however, have occurred over the last 100 years as a result of human activities.
   Rhodeus hondae (서호납줄갱이), an endemic species to the Seoho Lake in Suwon County, Gyeonggi-do Province, shotted into extinction by around 1930s shortly after the first Seoho Lake reclamation(for dam repair). 
   Leiocassis longirostris (종어), once rendered as a tribute to kings of Joseon Dynasty(A.D. 1392~1910 in Korean Peninsula) for its great taste, was overharvested and finally vanished from its South Korean habitats(the Lower Han River and Lower Keum River) in early 1980s.

  The List of Endangered Freshwater Fish of Korea contains some names of species of fishes that have been determined by the Ministry of Environment to be in greatest need of Governmental protection. The purpose of this works is to protect endangered species and ecosystems in which they live, and to take steps to recover them as key components of Korea's heritage. In order to list a species, they have to follow a legal process.
  
  The following is < The List of Endangered Freshwater Fish of South Korea >(2005), grouped in two levels:

  
 In 2005, of these 18 species, 2 species(Iksookimia choii, Pseudobagrus brevicorpus) were designated as Natural Monuments No. 454 and 455, respectively.
 The following is < The List of Natural Monuments(Dept. Freshwater Fishes) of South Korea >.

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 <The List of Endangered Freshwater Fish of Korea>(2005) excluded several species(now local-protected species), listed on <The List of Freshwater Fish in need of Protection>(1998), that show very narrow distributions in limited areas. The ministry official says the purpose of this decision is 'raising the efficiency of protection by having local-government take the responsibilities for protection'. However, local-governments' ignorance and poverty have caused endangered species population decreases and habitats destructions.

  Dr. Hong, Yeong-Pyo(The National Science Museum at Daejeon) suggested that, in early 2004, listing by Ministry of Environment should be subdivided into 4 criteria of categories included; extinct, extirpated, endangered, and vulnerable. There are some differences between this criteria and the IUCN Species Survival Commision for its global Red List, including the category 'extirpated' that indicates those species which no one has observed since 1990 in South Korea or their main habitats, although they may be secure in other countries, North Korea, or other main habitats. However, his suggestion was not reflected in the 2005's list.
* Extinct : Rhodeus hondae
* Extirpated : Leiocassis longirostris(S. Korea), Acipenser sinensis(S, Korea), Acipenser dabryanus(S. Korea), Hemibarbus mylodon(Keum River), Microphysogobio longidorsalis(Keum River), Pseudopungtungia nigra(Woongcheon River), Liobagrus obesus(Woongcheon River), Liobagrus andersoni(Muhan River).
* Endangered :  Iksookimia choii, I. pumila, Kichulchoia brevifasciata, Gobiobotia naktongensis, Liobagrus obesus.
* Vulnerable : Gobiobotia macrocephala(Keum River), G. brevibarba(Keum River), Rhynchocypris kumgangensis(Keum River), Pseudopungtungia nigra(Mankyeong River), Liobagrus obesus(Mankyeong River), Ladislavia taczanowskii, Phoxinus phoxinus, Lampetra reissneri, Pseudobagrus brevicorpus, Saurogobio dabryi, Microphysogobio koreensis, Pungitius kaibarae, Koreocobitis naktongensis, Iksookimia yongdokensis, Iksookimia hugowolfeldi.
 
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  Someone say "provincial-governments(including counties) afford them no protection and their efforts have not always been affected positively". They want these locally-protected endangered species to be added to the The Lists of Endangered Freshwater Fishes of Korea before extintion.
  The following is a list of local-protected endangered species :

All contents are copyright © 2007 by Dae-Min Kim. All rights reserved.