Migratory monarch butterfly now Endangered - IUCN Red List - Press release | IUCN

Press release | 21 Jul, 2022

Migratory monarch butterfly now Endangered -

IUCN Red List
Gland, Switzerland, 21 July 2022 (IUCN) – The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus
plexippus plexippus), known for its spectacular annual journey of up to 4,000 kilometres across
the Americas, has entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM as Endangered, threatened
by habitat destruction and climate change. All surviving sturgeon species – also migratory, found
across the northern hemisphere – are now at risk of extinction due to dams and poaching,
pushing the world’s most Critically Endangered group of animals yet closer to the brink. The
tiger (Panthera tigris) has been reassessed, revealing new population figures.

The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) has entered the IUCN Red List
as Endangered.

Photo: Joe Schelling

The IUCN Red List now includes 147,517 species, of which 41,459 are threatened with
extinction.
“Today’s Red List update highlights the fragility of nature’s wonders, such as the unique
spectacle of monarch butterflies migrating across thousands of kilometres,” said Dr Bruno
Oberle, IUCN Director General. “To preserve the rich diversity of nature we need effective,
fairly governed protected and conserved areas, alongside decisive action to tackle climate
change and restore ecosystems. In turn, conserving biodiversity supports communities by
providing essential services such as food, water and sustainable jobs.”

The Endangered migratory monarch butterfly is a subspecies of the monarch butterfly

(Danaus plexippus). The native population, known for its migrations from Mexico and California
in the winter to summer breeding grounds throughout the United States and Canada, has shrunk
by between 22% and 72% over the past decade. Legal and illegal logging and deforestation to
make space for agriculture and urban development has already destroyed substantial areas of the
butterflies’ winter shelter in Mexico and California, while pesticides and herbicides used in
intensive agriculture across the range kill butterflies and milkweed, the host plant that the larvae
of the monarch butterfly feed on.

Climate change has significantly impacted the migratory monarch butterfly and is a fast-growing
threat; drought limits the growth of milkweed and increases the frequency of catastrophic
wildfires, temperature extremes trigger earlier migrations before milkweed is available, while
severe weather has killed millions of butterflies.

The western population is at greatest risk of extinction, having declined by an estimated 99.9%,
from as many as 10 million to 1,914 butterflies between the 1980s and 2021. The larger eastern
population also shrunk by 84% from 1996 to 2014. Concern remains as to whether enough
butterflies survive to maintain the populations and prevent extinction.

“It is difficult to watch monarch butterflies and their extraordinary migration teeter on the edge
of collapse, but there are signs of hope. So many people and organisations have come together
to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats. From planting native milkweed and reducing
pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites and contributing to community
science, we all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery,”
said Anna Walker, member of the IUCN SSC Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group and
Species Survival Officer at the New Mexico BioPark Society, who led the monarch butterfly
assessment.

The global sturgeon reassessment published today reveals that 100% of the world’s remaining
26 sturgeon species are now at risk of extinction, up from 85% in 2009. The assessments are
based on refined calculations which show their decline over the past three generations to be
steeper than previously thought. The Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) has moved from
Critically Endangered to Extinct in the Wild, 17 species are now Critically Endangered, three are
Endangered and five are Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The reassessment has also confirmed
the extinction of the Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius).

Renowned for their size, with the Critically Endangered Beluga (Huso huso) growing up to eight
metres and 1,700 kilograms, sturgeons have been overfished for their meat and caviar for
centuries. Despite being protected under international law, poaching continues to affect more
than half of these species; stronger enforcement of regulations on the illegal sale of sturgeon
meat and caviar is critical to stop further declines. Dams affect all sturgeon species migrating to
their breeding grounds, while rivers warming due to climate change further disrupts sturgeon
reproduction. Freshwater ecosystem restoration and building effective fish passages, together
with restocking, which has already proven effective for species such as the Critically Endangered
Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii), are key measures to support the long-term survival of the
world’s sturgeons.

The tiger has been reassessed, with new figures revealing that there are currently between 3,726
and 5,578 tigers in the wild worldwide. The 40% increase since the last tiger assessment in 2015
is the result of improvements in monitoring, showing that there are more tigers than previously
thought, and the number of tigers globally appears to be stable or increasing. While this
reassessment confirms that the tiger remains Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the population
trend indicates that projects such as the IUCN Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme
are succeeding and recovery is possible as long as conservation efforts continue.

Major threats include poaching of tigers, poaching and hunting of their prey, and habitat
fragmentation and destruction due to the growing pressures of agriculture and human settlement.
Expanding and connecting protected areas, ensuring they are effectively managed, and working
with local communities living in and around tiger habitats, are critical to protect the species.

Supporting quotes
“We are grateful to the IUCN network of experts for their state-of-the-art assessments, and their
contributions to the development of the CITES Dalbergia Checklist in coordination with the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Science underpins the decisions that CITES makes, and it is
through these strategic partnerships that we are able to thrive and continue to make a
significant contribution to the long-term conservation of rosewoods of the genus Dalbergia and
other keystone forest species," said Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General.

“Few species evoke the awe and wonder that the migratory monarch butterfly commands,”
said Dr Sean T. O’Brien, President and CEO of Nature Serve. “While efforts to protect this
species are encouraging, much is still needed to ensure its long-term survival. Never has there
been a more pressing time to collect data, like that provided by the NatureServe Network, on our
nation’s biodiversity.”

"The diversity of freshwater species underpins the health of our freshwater ecosystems and our
planet as a whole," said Harmony Patricio, Re:wild freshwater fish conservation manager.
"The news out today on the status of the world’s sturgeons should act as a red alert about the
declining health of the lakes and rivers sturgeons live in. Re:wild is proud to be working with
Synchronicity Earth via  Shoal on urgently bolstering the conservation of freshwater species
throughout the world, to the benefit of all life on Earth."

“The oldest reported beluga was 118 years old. They reach reproductive age at 2 m in length,
about one fourth of their maximum size. The primary threat of these giant migratory fish is
overexploitation. Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world, as we not
only use water to drink, clean, irrigate and fish, but also to dispose of our waste. Decline of
monarchs is similar. Although they are not used directly by humans, their threats are
decentralised, diffuse and multiple. Tiger population recovery, however, shows us that solving
complex conservation challenges is possible, and within our reach. Although tigers are still
Endangered, their populations appear to be stable or increasing. We need to learn from these
conservation successes, share them with the public, and increase our investment in evidence-
based conservation action,” said Dr Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival
Commission.

“It is tragic to see one of the world’s most well-known butterfly species, with remarkable
migratory behaviours and local cultural significance, threatened with extinction. Assessments
like these provide us with the foundations for conservation actions to try and help protect a
species and avert further loss,” said Sophie Ledger, ZSL (Zoological Society of London)
Indicators & Assessments Unit researcher and member of the IUCN SSC Butterfly and
Moth Specialist Group. “Here at ZSL, we are collaborating with global experts to shed light on
the status of a wide range of species, including butterflies. Considering the current global
biodiversity crisis, it is critical to uncover what is happening with diverse and functionally
important species such as these before it’s too late.”