Fifth of local marine species under threat

NearlyY a fifth of the marine species in the Balearics are threatened, according to a report presented yesterday by Joan Mayo, the Balearic minister of agriculture and fisheries, and Margalida Rosselló, the minister of the environment. The report, entitled Red List of Fish in the Balearics, says that 18 per cent of the species usually found in the waters of the archipelago are threatened to a greater or lesser extent, or no longer exist. The report has been compiled by experts from the two ministries, and for the first time, examines the state of preservation of the shoals of fish in local waters. This is meant to be a first step in improving the preservation of local marine fauna. The report says that seven of the 408 species are now extinct, ten are in critical danger, 14 in danger, 30 species are classified as vulnerable and 12 more are under threat.