Declining does not mean facing extinction
Stuff reports:
The season could be a whiteout for both sellers and consumers alike, he said, as environmental watchdog Forest and Bird has called for a total ban on selling commercial whitebait to help save the four of the five species threatened with extinction. …
Forest and Bird freshwater spokeswoman Annabeth Cohen said stopping commercial sales would help lift the pressure on the struggling native migratory whitebait galaxiid species – kōaro, shortjawed kōkopu, banded kōkopu, giant kōkopu and inanga.
Kōaro, inanga and giant kōkopu populations are listed as ‘declining’ by the Department of Conservation.
A declining status is not on the verge of extinction. There are four levels of threat:
- Critical
- Endangered
- Vulnerable
- Declining
This is not to argue for or against a ban, but I do wish stories would reflect that a declining status does not mean facing extinction.