Red Lists indicate the conservation status of wild species, according to criteria that assess the risk of extinction, and present information on populations, threats, and conservation measures. Their aim is to draw attention to the decrease in biological diversity on a regional and global scale.
In Portugal, the last revision of the Red List of Vertebrates took place in 2005 and included the assessment of freshwater and migratory fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. With regard to aquatic species, the main threat factors that were identified are generally related to the destruction, degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats, resulting from human activities.
- Among the conservation measures that contribute to the recovery of threatened aquatic species, we should highlight the following:
- Pollution control (water pollution, floating rubbish, persistent waste, etc.);
- Restoring the natural hydrological regime and longitudinal continuity of rivers;
- Preserving riparian galleries and wetlands (e.g. ponds, water mines, lagoons and bogs, estuaries and coastal areas).
We chose a fish, an amphibian, a reptile, a bird, and a mammal that are currently endangered in Portugal and that you can find in the permanent exhibition of the Vasco da Gama Aquarium. You can find out a little more about each of these species and what we can do to preserve them.